


Swift Rivers and Raging Fires

by bravebatgirl



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mulan (1998) Fusion, Angst, Eventual Romance, F/M, Heavy Angst, Katara is cringe-worthy but still badass, Mulan AU, Multi, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Toph Being Awesome, Will the whole Gaang show up? who knows, Zuko enjoys the burn when its slow, Zuko has Panic Attacks, Zuko questions his sexuality, Zutara, also Katara is done with male bullshit, anti-pakku squad, cos when is she not??, i forgot how much angst there is in this so, no but rlly this is like frying an egg on a car bonnet in spring level of slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2020-05-03 05:33:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 102,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19173568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bravebatgirl/pseuds/bravebatgirl
Summary: It's ludicrous. She knows it is. She could (scratch that, would) be killed if revealed, and if not that, the high-risk environment of war might just nick her off anyway. But her father is crippled, her beloved southern village severely depleted in numbers, and she has a duty to protect them. She will not turn her back on people who need her.And fighting the Fire Nation might just be the adventure she's been waiting for.(The handsome, albeit impulsive and fiery army captain certainly doesn't hinder the cause)~inspired by artcraawl's work on Tumblr~





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: originally, this story was first published as 'You Have Saved Us All'. Around chapter 7, however, I realised the storyline was heading in a different direction to what I'd planned, and is, as a result, now titled 'Swift Rivers and Raging Fires'.
> 
> Hey there, fellow ATLA fans. Thanks for clicking on this fic of mine!  
> It's been a good 3 years since I've written fanfiction, and honestly, I've missed it sorely. I have an account on FF that I've been using for DC/Young Justice related fics, but have recently found myself thrown back into my Avatar phase. I saw some beautiful artwork by artcraawl on Tumblr and immediately was inspired to write some fanfiction. What better way to get back into it than with some good old Mulan! AU? 
> 
> To give you a bit of a background for this AU, basically, Ozai is still the number one bad guy. He has broken away from the Fire Nation and taken a lot of powerful, ruthless warriors with him to stop his brother, General Iroh, and take the title of Fire Lord for himself. The war hasn't been going on for 100 years (thank god), but is still causing a lot of destruction and death. Katara, who is living in the Southern Water Tribe with Kanna and Hakoda, loves the fighting side of waterbending and wants to help the war effort in any way she can. However, like the Northern tribe, it is forbidden for women to do so, so joining the war is out of the question... but this is a Mulan AU... and Katara is known for sticking it to the man so...
> 
> Will Toph still be an absolute legend? Probably.  
> Is Aang going to appear as the Avatar? Who knows.  
> Will Zuko start questioning whether or not he finds this random Water Tribe Boy attractive? Absolutely.
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy!!

“General Iroh, sir? We’ve just received word from the Captains Xu Tan and Huang of the 6th and 24th battalions. Regarding news on the southern and western fronts.”

Placing down his cup of ginseng tea, the burly general pinched his brows, turning to face the young lieutenant who’d just walked into his office. “Let us not be kept in suspense then, young man. I cannot imagine a build up to this news will be a welcome surprise.”

Nodding respectfully, the lieutenant continued. “Lord O – I mean, Ozai’s forces have taken both the Southern and Western Air Temples. There were a great number of casualties, mainly of the air nomads; our battalions have reported they arrived at the conclusion of the massacre, able to protect and rescue a small number of those remaining. They are currently retreating back to bases in Omashu and the Northern Water Tribe to treat and counsel those remaining of the Air Nomads.”

“Great Agni”, Iroh breathed, steadying himself against a chair. “I had… suspicions my brother would do something drastic, but never this coldheartedly and barbaric. I should have known.”

The young man stepped forward to speak, then collected himself again, looking down.

Iroh watched him thoughtfully for a moment then said, “Any report on the training camps outside Ba Sing Se?”

His head perked up. “Uh, yes, sir – currently admissions are… quite low, unfortunately. There are a few air acolytes that have expressed interest in joining after what has happened to their people. In regards to Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, and Fire Nation recruits...” he trailed off sheepishly, looking to the side, “we’re at an all-time low.”

Iroh cast his eyes to the stars that dusted across the sky out his window, seeking silent reassurance from their eternal brilliance. While he was a man of ferocity, a man of power and war, he was firstly one of honour and spirituality. He knew that he and his men would work and fight until they saw the end of Ozai’s fiery terror, give up life and limb if they had to. But he also hoped, _prayed_ , that the spirits he so fervently admired and respected saw his brother’s evil too, and were just as prepared to let destiny be theirs for the taking. That the world could be brought to peace. But he knew that one’s joy often required another’s sacrifice.

If numbers were as low as this young lieutenant said they were, it wouldn’t matter if the spirits were on their side or not. Ozai would crush their hope and bodies like a measly bumble fly.

No, winning this war would require sacrifice, acts of selflessness, integrity, courage in the face of adversity. From every good man in the four nations.

Resolved, he moved to his desk, swiftly taking out several pieces of parchment and his favourite bamboo pen, and copied the same direct, concise message over and over again. Sealing them each with the same neutral-grey seal, with the characters of each of the nations imprinted small on it, he handed the letters to the awaiting lieutenant.

“See these delivered to Colonels Morishita, Bato, Wei, Lu Ten, and Master Pakku as soon as possible. I pray that destiny is our friend in this war, but friends will not win it. Warriors will.”

The attentive lieutenant bowed, and Iroh enjoyed his surprise when he bowed back. Glancing back up, his expression hardened. “Be swift, my boy. Time goes away, waiting for nobody.”

With that, the young man practically flew down the corridor, already gesturing to the keepers of the messenger hawks.

Iroh sighed. He could feel his joints cracking, his back aching, his heartbreaking. War was not good to anyone, and he wished it over soon as much as anyone else, maybe even more so. Moving toward the window, he smoothed down the grey-turning-white hairs of his beard, hoping for a sense of normalcy or peace. None was granted.

He was too old to be partaking in such acts as wars, battles, planning and forcing young men to go to a war they didn’t feel in their hearts they were meant to be part of. He wanted nothing more than to retire to a quaint little piece of heaven, perhaps in Ba Sing Se, and open his own tea shop. Oh, yes. _Tea_. Jasmine, gingseng, longjing, oolong, maybe even try some of this kombucha his young soldiers would sometimes talk about. That would be the dream. Nothing but tea, pai sho, and bringing smiles to those he could.

But he knew that dream could never be true in the world they were currently living in. He would never be able to live with himself if he simply retired and left the world to the selfish desires of his brother. This war would determine who became Fire Lord, and in turn, who ruled the most powerful and dangerous nation in the world. Iroh dreamed of bringing unity back to the four nations, reigniting alliances and friendships, bringing an era of love and peace. If Ozai were to take the throne, anyone who couldn’t produce a flame from his fingertips, or proudly sing the Fire Nation anthem with clarity and precision, would be considered an enemy and utterly destroyed. And that was not a possibility that Iroh could live with.

Once again, he turned to the stars above, and prayed they heard his plea, prayed they saw the despair the world was in and prayed that if they could do something, they would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but sweet, I just wanted to do a little prologue that centred around Iroh because he's a gem :3  
> I'll post Chapter one shortly after this. 
> 
> Please feel free to comment, kudos, anything, especially if it's some constructive criticism!  
> xoxo


	2. Honey, I've Seen Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara is set and sure in bringing honour to her tribe (even if it means the most painstakingly infuriating process).

Katara was _not_ a morning person. Let’s just get that straight. In the morning, the arctic air was just too crisp, the spark of sunrise on the white snow just too bright, and the warmth of her bed just _too_ enticing. So yeah, mornings and Katara were not a good mix. She resented them. Especially when she’d stayed up late to sneak down to the water and practice bending. It wasn’t _her_ fault the gleam of the full moon just called to her, asked her to stare at its beautiful reflection in the deep blues of the water, begged her to dance with the waves as they drew strength from each other. It was a mutual attraction she just couldn’t deny.

Nevertheless, Katara refusing mornings to be a thing did not make her Gran Gran’s knocking go away, or sounds of her father aggressively chopping up wood.

‘ _Oh, for the sake of La.’_

“Mmm… coming, Gran Gran, just, five more… minutes...” she mumbled into her pillow.

The knocking stopped, and for a second, Katara thought she had won. She should have known.

Icy-cold numbness washed over her, freezing her skin and making her leap out of bed with a loud, undignified “AH!”.

Landing in a heap on the cold floor, she looked up through wet hair to see her beloved grandmother smiling ever so sweetly down at her, having with one hand and holding a bucket with the other. “Rise and shine, my little koalaotter. The day is getting away from you, and you have chores to do this morning. You’ve got a big day ahead indeed.”

Katara sighed pitifully, looking forlornly at her bed before getting up. “Yes, Gran Gran, I know”, she sighed, starting to bend the water out of her hair and off of her clothes. “But, you know there are other ways you could have gotten me up, right?”

The little old woman shrugged innocently. “Perhaps. I thought the adrenaline rush might put a bit more of a spring in your step for today, though, hm?”

Today? What _was_ happening today again? She knew there was something. _Had_ to be something with that knowing look her grandmother was giving her.

“Wow, Sugar Queen – knew you could be a bit forgetful, but this is just plain sad.”

Head spinning at the sound of the all-too-familiar voice, Katara beamed. “Toph!”

Racing to envelop the smaller girl, ignoring the muffled _‘geez, get off me, will ya?!’_ , Katara laughed as she stared down at her. “I had no idea you were coming! Couldn’t have mentioned it in your last letter, huh?”

The fifteen-year-old shrugged, though there was a smile on her face. “Wanted to surprise you. Plus, my parents were getting overbearing with the whole ‘war thing’” she added air quotes, “so a week ago I said ‘screw this noise, I’m out’ and hitched a ride to the Southern Water Tribe.”

Katara scoffed. Really, she couldn’t expect less from the boisterous young earthbender. She and Toph had met three years ago, when the war had been going through a relatively quiet period. The Bei Fongs were on a bit of a global trip, at the request/demand of Toph, and stopped at the village just as Katara had turned fourteen and was starting to learn waterbending. At first, she’d been somewhat wary of the seemingly quiet, poised, _blind_ girl who seemed every bit the aristocrat and royalty that Katara had only heard of. That was until one night, when she heard a scratching and thudding sound that prompted her to sneak out, when she saw the same little girl absolutely demolishing the snow around.

At first, Katara was excited, yet nervous, thinking that she’d found another female waterbender. Toph had simply laughed, walked up to her and shown that there was in fact _dirt_ on her palm and under her nails. The younger girl then went into explain that there was earth in everything, and that the reason her entire tribe wasn’t drifting all over the sea was because underneath all that snow, was earth. (’ _Seriously, Sweetness, you didn’t actually think your entire island was made of ice, did ya?’)_

And so, a friendship blossomed between the two young benders, both understanding each other’s frustration at being told they couldn’t bend because of certain ‘limitations’.

( _‘Are your parents crazy? I mean, I’ve never actually met another earthbender, but just watching you now, I- you’re amazing, Toph. Blind or not.’_ )

(‘ _Yes, that is completely one hundred percent true, Sugar Queen, but you know what annoys me? I have met a few waterbenders and even though you’ve been teaching yourself and you’re still kind of… eh, I can see – don’t laugh – that you’ve got the power and guts to do more. But your people won’t train you ‘cause you’re a_ girl _? Now_ that’s _crazy.)_

After that initial visit, the two girls made sure to write to each other regularly and tell one another all the hot gossip, or rant about annoying people, or share the war-related whispers they overheard. Visits had slowed due to the increasing tension in the war, but they never stopped writing.

Katara was so pleasantly surprised that her best friend had actually managed to visit. “Of course you did”, she chuckled. “You know, I think you’re going to give your parents and staff a heart attack one of these days.”

She waved a dismissive hand. “Eh, they’ll live. Besides, there was no way I was going to miss today, Sweetness.”

Toph smirked, and it was like the smugness alone dropped the memory back into Katara’s mind. “Oh sweet Tui and La, _that’s_ today.”

Gran Gran came up beside her, handing over various skins and furs. “Indeed. So, best get a move along with stitching these furs and clothes, Katara. Your betrothed won’t be happy to be kept waiting.”

* * *

All furs, rugs, skins and otherwise stitched and sold, Katara counted her chores completed and made her way back up to the hut with Toph. She was thankful for her presence and not allowing her to be alone in that moment, or she might’ve just gone crazy with anticipation.

“ _Sooooo_ …” Toph drawled out, and Katara sighed, quirking an eyebrow at her smug expression. “Tell me about the _guuuuuuuuy_.”

Katara lightly elbowed the shorter girl, which earned her a harder punch back. “Firstly, _ow,_ I forgot how strong you are, and secondly, it’s really not that important.”

Toph turned her sightless gaze to deadpan her. “Not important? Uh, _yuh_ , Sugar Queen, sure. Knowing about the guy you’re marrying isn’t really that important. And your brother is the Avatar.”

“I’m serious”, she chuckled slightly, staring at the path back ahead. “He’s just a guy from the Northern Tribe: Inuksuk, son of one of my dad’s political friends. He’s a few years older, great hunter, wants to move to Southern Tribe which means I don’t have to leave anything. Nothing really else to it.”

The blind girl contemplated for a moment. “It’s a political marriage. You’re being forced into this.”

She spun around and grabbed Toph by the shoulders, shaking her head. “No no no, no, no one is forcing me to do anything…”, she let out a sigh. “I agreed willingly. I chose to do this.”

Toph still ‘stared’ at her disbelievingly. “I don’t buy it. The Katara I know would stomp her feet and have a tantrum if anyone told her she had to marry some guy she’d never met ‘cause it was a ‘political move’. And who willingly gives their daughter away to a guy called ‘Inuksuk’? Seriously, Hakoda and I are gonna have words.”

“Toph”, she softened her gaze, forcing a smile more for her own comfort, “it’s okay. Really. I consider it an honour. I’m going to help unite the Tribes in a way that hasn’t been done for years. It wasn’t that long ago that Dad came home from the civil war.”

She remembered the bittersweet joy, all those years ago, of seeing her father come up the snowy bank in one piece, only to realise he wasn’t, in fact, all there, the steady limp of his left leg betraying the strained happiness on his face.

She sighed. “Look, everyone right now is doing their bit to help bring unity and peace to the war. Dad’s trying to reconcile ties, I happen to be part of those ties”, she broke off to gesture out to the world beyond the Pole. “Sokka’s out fighting in the thick of it all, for spirits’ sake. And I wish I – I want to be able to help in any way I can. So, if this is the way the Spirits want me to help then, I’ll do it.”

If Toph noticed her slip up, she didn’t show any obvious sign of it. Katara hoped she wouldn’t dwell on it if she did…

… she probably would.

The blind girl pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at the waterbender. She seemed to consider her a moment longer before turning to continue along the path. Katara let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.

“Well alright, Sugar Queen, whatever you say. But the standard rule applies; this guy tries any funny hanky-panky business that you don’t wanna do, you call up old Toph and he might find himself 50 feet under. Maybe 60.”

Katara let out a bellowing laugh, and the two girls sprinted the rest of the way to the hut.

* * *

Katara’s laughter had stopped, and was now replaced with a pathetic sort of grumbling as Gran Gran yanked her hair this way and that. Looking in the mirror, she could see that it was slowly and _excruciatingly_ being brought up into a sort of bun. It looked fine enough, she guessed, except Gran Gran had insisted that her hair loopies go up with it. Her untouchable, beloved hair loopies, her most prized possessions (other than her mother’s necklace) were just strands of hair in her hairdo now. Katara was _not_ having any of this.

The whole ordeal must’ve seemed very amusing to everyone else, as Gran Gran was barely suppressing a smile while Toph was howling with laughter, sensing Katara’s pricking pain and bubbling irritation.

“Gran Gran, _please_ ”, she unashamedly begged, “surely this isn’t all necessary. We’re just meeting at the village square tent. It’s not like I’m _actually_ getting married today.”

The old woman chided her for moving, before bringing a comb through a stubborn part of Katara’s hair that had her squirming. “You might as well be, my child. It’s your first meeting with Inuksuk, and your very most important one. For this will determine when, where and if the marriage will be successful. A woman judges a man on how he acts, behaves, looks and thinks. Men mainly judge on just appearance and behaviour, unfortunately. So it is imperative you look like a vision when he first sees you.”

At first, irritation remained and a remark on sexism and how double-standard it all was sat on her tongue, but then the realisation of her grandmother’s words hit her. Suddenly, a pit started to form in Katara’s stomach, and she flicked her gaze back to her reflection.

Katara knew she was relatively pretty. Like all Water Tribe people, her blue eyes contrasted very nicely with her mocha skin, which was pretty much rid of all acne (thank the spirits _that_ nightmare was over). Puberty had blessed her in her seventeen years, baby fat melting away to reveal a slightly more defined, yet still soft heart shape face, a curved yet toned body from years of self-motivation. A few delicately placed white lines and dots painted her face in traditional Tribe manner. Her full lips were currently a dark shade of brown, with a hint of red. A soft pink blushed her cheeks and the tip of her nose, adding to the effects of the cold wind. Her dark chocolate hair that normally pillowed around her like the waves she so loves to bend was somehow, amazingly, swept up into one graceful bun.

Yes, Katara was a pretty girl – pretty _woman_ , really – but was she what Inuksuk wanted? Would she be what he wanted?

For the good of both their Tribes, she certainly hoped so.

Perhaps her inner turmoil was more visible than she would’ve liked to be so because the combing had stopped and was now replaced with the gentle massaging of Grans Gran’s experienced hands on her neck. She immediately melted under the touch though and looked up to shoot her grandmother a thankful look. Soon, Toph walked over and placed a reassuring hand on her forearm.

“Hey, Sweetness, you’re gonna do great, okay? Just be your confident, caring self and he’ll wanna snatch you up right there and then. You’re a total knockout right now, the boy’s not gonna know what hit him”, she said with an enthusiastic grin.

“Thanks Toph, you’re an amazing– why do you always feel the need to pull those jokes at the most inappropriate times?”

The earthbender simply snickered and disappeared off towards to kitchen, mumbling something about ‘sea prunes for serenity’.

Katara sighed, smiling at her friend’s normal chaotic antics before turning her gaze back to her beloved Gran Gran. After her mother had died, Gran Gran had quickly taken up the maternal role for Sokka and Katara without it feeling like she was being replaced altogether, which she appreciated more than words could ever show. She just hoped her actions in forming this unity would.

“Katara”, she said softly, caressing the side of her soft cheek, which the young woman leaned into. “My beautiful little waterbender, how you’ve grown over these last few years. No matter what obstacle has stood in your way, you have pushed through it and always done what is best for those around you. You’re so incredibly selfless, my dear, and Inuksuk is going to be the luckiest man alive.”

Katara smiled at her, ignoring the sense of dread in her stomach as she focused on Gran Gran’s proud, gentle eyes. “Thank you, Gran Gran. I only hope that this helps in some small way to bring the war to an end.”

The old woman gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment, before reaching into the pocket of her parka. “It is tradition that when a woman gets married, her mother gifts her with honourable possessions of her own. As your mother cannot be here to do that for you, it is my duty to do so. And I think it would bring you some comfort to give these to you now.”

Katara’s eyes widened and mouth formed a small ‘o’ as her grandmother brought out two beautiful objects, and the old woman smiled with pride. “A pendant with the Water Tribe symbol, of Tui and La, for balance as you take a nervous step into an unsteady future. Let this be your anchor and bring you stability”, she spoke calmly, placing the silver ornate into the well-hidden folds of her dress.

“Beads of ivory for purity of heart and beauty, both of which you possess and must proudly show”, she said, gently lifting her granddaughter’s chin up, earning her a soft giggle. “Women are more powerful than men often realise, my dear, and when we can, we must use it to our advantage to make sure that we fix whatever little mistakes they make. Often without them realising.”

The two shared a small chuckle, gazing fondly at one another. Katara knew that her grandmother was getting on in her years, and would soon depart for the spirit world, so she was eternally grateful for these small moments. She got up, slight tears in her eyes, and bent down to wrap her arms around her in a tight embrace.

“Thank you for everything, Gran Gran.”

A gentle squeeze around her middle. “You are more than welcome, Katara.”

“Open up, Sugar Queen”, Toph’s voice suddenly announced right next to her ear. Opening her mouth in surprise, she soon found it stuffed with sea prunes and struggled not to choke.

Swallowing them as smoothly as she could, she looked at Toph with a soft glare. “Really?”

“What? Can’t be meeting your future hubby on an empty stomach”, she said, popping a single prune in her own mouth before hacking and spitting it out two seconds later. “How on earth can you stomach those, sheesh!”

Katara and her grandmother shared a knowing look, and with that, the three started toward the opening of the hut.

* * *

Walking toward the large hut in the centre of the village, Katara felt several pairs of eyes on her, which did nothing to ease the knot forming in her stomach. Her grandmother had parted with her once they reached the flat of the bottom of the hill, wishing her good luck and that the spirits be with her. Toph had chosen to stay with her, saying she wanted to get a glimpse of ‘the future Sugar King’, but Katara knew Toph was also there as her support for as long as she could be. Which she was so incredibly grateful for.

She took in a deep breath and kept her eyes locked on the path in front of her. This was it; this was the moment the next part of her life would begin, the part where she really started to make a difference, where she would no longer be just another Water Tribe Woman. She would be a diplomat, a bridge between the two Tribes by her husband’s side, and the two of them would help usher in a new era of peace.

If everything today went well and she didn’t accidentally melt the ice surrounding them. _Gulp._

“Re- _laaaaax_ , Sugar Queen”, Toph drawled casually, patting Katara on the back. “You got this.”

“Yeah”, Katara replied, cringing at the way her voice cracked, “I-I got this. No problem. Easy peasy. Piece of prune cake.”

“Oh boy”, the blind girl muttered, drawing her hand away, “I’m gonna have to give you some advice, aren’t I?”

Katara had to scoff at that. “I’m sorry, advice? Okay, and what exactly is it that you can tell me about boys that I don’t already know, hm? I _am_ older, remember?”

“Wow, great observation, I knew you weren’t as clueless as you pretend to be”, Toph bantered back, a smirk quirking at her lips. “But, oh Katara, sweet, innocent Katara, there is so much wisdom I have to offer in this department.”

Katara chuckled and stopped to face her younger friend. “Then please, by all means, _enlighten me_.”

“For starters, this isn’t a boy you’re dealing with here. It’s a _man_. Big difference. And as a young woman who’s had _plenty_ of experience with both”, she waggled her eyebrows, “I can give you my three best tips for handling the dumber of the sexes.”

“Number one”, she held up a finger, “you can’t just tell a dude your opinion and assume he’ll respect it. Some of the guys today belong 100 years ago. You gotta talk about his opinion then subtly switch it to yours so he gets an understanding. It’s stupid, and I hate doing subtle, but we women gotta do what we gotta do.”

“Number two”, a second finger, “strip him down before you praise him. Oh my _Spirits_ , Sweetness, not like _that_ , get your mind out of the swamp. I meant you gotta really inspect him, find out every little detail you can about him; physically, mentally and emotionally before you say a word about him. Make a show of when you inspect him physically, that’ll get him flustered. Once you’ve figured a few things out about him, you can appeal to his better nature by talking about his strengths, but also humble him by mentioning his weaknesses.”

“And number three”, a third finger raised, “womanly charms: use ‘em. I hear the sissy noblewomen doing the same thing every time a guy walks past: it’s pathetic. I don’t rely on these too much, ‘cause, well, I think it’s stupid and outdated and don’t actually know what I look like _sooooo_ brains and brawn over beauty for me. You, however, have the advantage of knowing what you look like, being older and more, well, womanly, and actually enjoying being primped and pretty. Use that, and flutter your lashes, flick your hair, _whatever_ , just stuff you know looks good and could probably drive a man crazy. You got it?”

“Uh, yeah”, Katara said, mildly yet pleasantly surprised at Toph’s amount of knowledge. “Thanks… that was… surprisingly insightful. How exactly do you know all this?”

“Like I said, Sugar Queen”, she said before leaning in with a smirk and a wink, “Plenty. Of. Experience.”

The young Tribeswoman eyed her friend comically, mouth opening and closing like a koi as Toph pushed her toward the tent. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all the juicy gossip _after_ your hot date. Remember what I said, Sugar Queen! You got this!”

‘ _Yeah’_ Katara thought as she walked to the large opening where Inuksuk would be waiting, raising herself up to her full height, lifting her chin and walking as though she were a majestic polar leopard. ‘ _I have got this.’_

Stepping through the threshold, she took in the normally familiar surroundings before her. Most tables had been pushed aside, the bar was completely bare, and the now-visible walls had portraits of chiefs of the past. The central tent of the village was usually like a community centre of some sorts, and never empty. There would be mothers meeting while their children played, hunters gathered around a table as the discussed their next expedition, men signing up to partake in the war. A bobbing wolf tail and infectious laugh filled her mind.

She tried not to focus too much on Sokka these days; it would be selfish to do so, as she had her own duties to fulfil in protecting her people. Yet, her sharp-witted, sarcastic and protective brother had for the longest time been her best and only friend. Katara could pester him to no ends, and Sokka could be sexist to the point where she would douse him in tons of snow at a time, but at their root, they would always be there for each other. Which was why Katara had made sure she was the last person to hug him on the dock when he’d boarded that warship a year ago, no matter how much it had pained them both. She’d prayed each night, to all the spirits she could think of, for him. Prayed that he hadn’t gotten punched for saying something too stupid in training camp, injured badly while in the line of duty or…

She couldn’t even form the last thought.

“Katara, you’re here.”

Whipping around at the deep voice, she realised that the tent hadn’t been _completely_ empty as a tall, broad figure stepped out from where he’d been waiting near the wall.

She made an effort to smile, walking toward the man and bowed politely. “Inuksuk, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Inuksuk nodded shortly after. Katara ignored the less respectful gesture and maintained her soft smile. “Likewise. Please, join me at the table. I brought along some rice wine for our meeting today.”

“Rice wine, how… exotic”, she commented idly, using the time over toward the small square table to take in his appearance and mannerisms.

Everything about him screamed thick and sturdy. Even beneath the heavy, dark blue parka, Katara could see he had wide build. Broad, muscular, perhaps had the luxury of a little too much food in the North. His jaw was strong and slightly covered by shoulder-length hair that was half-up half-down. Sideburns trailed down to his broad face, which Katara noted lacked great definition. His eyes were piercing electric blue and seemed to be narrowed often as small lines framed his only 23-year-old face. His nose was slightly crooked and led to his large, pursed lips.

His gait was strong yet, and Katara had to bite back a giggle, had somewhat of a waddle as he moved around to pull out a chair for himself.

 _‘So, chivalry is dead. Good to know’_ , Katara kept a huff to herself.

“Yes, we at the Northern Water Tribe have it imported regularly from the rebels in the Fire Nation”, Inuksuk said proudly. “Not as excellent as their fire whiskey, let me tell you, but I thought it’d be better to have something more… tame for today.”

Katara smiled and nodded in agreement. “Seems like a wise decision. It would be good to keep our wits about ourselves while we talk.”

He sat in front of her, filling two goblets with the clear liquid. Passing one to her with a small ‘enjoy’, he then immediately took a sip of his own beverage. Katara simply glanced down at the alcohol, wondering if she’d get a moment to bend it away to join a puddle near her feet. She studied his face carefully, waited until he’d apparently finished then returned to looking at him with a gaze sweeter than honey nectar.

He looked up at her, and said in a very matter-of-fact tone, “You are very beautiful, Katara. I’m quite lucky that your father has chosen me as your betrothed. I’m sure that there were many other eligible men in the Southern Water Tribe that would have wanted you as their wife.”

She knew it was supposed to be a compliment, but the possessiveness of his words grated on her slightly. She took in a breath and made sure to flutter her eyes. “Thank you, you are quite handsome yourself. Very strong, I see; a man of independence and command”, she purred, turning her head more toward him. A pleased smirk appeared on his face and he not-so-subtly flexed his biceps. Katara was both pleased with herself and repulsed.

‘ _Oh, sweet Tui and La, this is horrendous.’_

“Thank you, and good observation. With my father being Chief Arnook, he has taken me under his wing through every step of my life, showing me all our tribal ways and traditions. He has made sure that I would be fully prepared to take my rightful place of Chief one day. I always assumed it would be of the Northern tribe, until my father made me aware of his and Chief Hakoda’s plan involving myself and you.”

He leaned forward to rest his elbows, which meant taking up his entire side of the table. “This union is extremely important for both the Northern and Southern Water Tribes and will ensure that peace and alliance is maintained within the whole tribe as the war comes stronger and closer every day. We need to secure our way of life and make sure that Ozai’s scum doesn’t wipe it off the face of the Earth.”

Katara took in a sharp breath at the mention of the power-hungry firebender that made her blood boil. “I wholeheartedly agree. This marriage of ours would be so much more than just a union of two people; it would be the union of the entire Tribe, making each and every one of us, man, woman and child, stronger together.”

Inuksuk nodded, pausing for a moment before he spoke again. “Your father and I spoke earlier when I first docked. He seems very keen on keeping you in the Southern Tribe if we were to marry, and as is respectful to a Chief, I agreed to his wishes. At first, I still thought it’d be best to take you back to the Northern Tribe with me”, Katara’s eyes widened, “but then, after looking around your village, I see that I have a bigger purpose and duty to fulfil here, and my presence is sorely needed.”

“I’m sorry”, she asked, furrowing her brows just slightly, “but what is it about my Tribe that requires your presence more than the Northern does? Surely both Tribes are suffering, yet coping equally in these times.”

The burly man leaned back in his chair and made a large swooping gesture. “All of it, but the loss of tradition is the clearest of all. It’s understandable, really, as yours is much smaller, but the importance of roles is clearly slipping. I saw a woman in hunter’s gear hauling a dead puffin-seal earlier today, but worse, there was a man healing a young boy’s wound. There is almost no structure left, and it’s terrifying.”

Katara clenched her first under the table. ‘ _Deep breaths, Katara. Remember what Toph told you._ ’

“I can see how our ways in the Southern Tribe might appear a bit strange to you, Inuksuk, but it’s as you said; our Tribe is a lot smaller. Women and men here do often share or switch tasks and chores if it means it’s more efficient. Healing and housework is definitely still a largely female area, while hunting, fighting, and craftsmanship are male, but as we are aware that the war doesn’t discriminate on who is killed, we prepare one another to have to step into the other role if necessary. It’s how we look out for each other as a Tribe”, Katara said strongly, looking at Inuksuk now, who was turning slightly red.

“But that’s not _tradition_. Women should not be allowed to go outside and hunt, and men shouldn’t have to stay at home and watch over children. The only time men should have to watch over children is when they are teaching their sons the art of waterbending. It is _not_ our way”, he argued.

Katara could feel herself inching forward and upward as she countered, “Well, traditions change based on circumstances, and unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury here of having a lot of waterbenders, and most of our men have gone to fight in the war already. A lot of those left behind are too young, old or injured to be hunting day in and day out. We have young, strong, agile women who don’t wish to see their fathers, uncles, brothers, and grandfathers starve, so they are more than welcome to sacrifice a knitting session if it means that their family can have a good meal that night.”

Inuksuk was staring blankly back at her, but she could see the irritation building as he stood up from the table. “Katara, as the daughter of Chief Hakoda, _you_ must understand better than anyone that tribal structure must be maintained if we are to keep our basic morals and way of life. Your Northern counterpart, my sister, is Princess Yue, and she completely understands this. She will marry one of the best men in the village and he will assume the role of Chief. Her job will be to make sure he is comfortable and supported at all times, and most importantly, to bear his sons to continue his line of chieftains.”

Katara was sure steam was coming out of her ears at this point, but clearly Inuksuk hadn’t noticed as he stepped in front of her and held her chin. “ _That_ is the role of women, and that is how the Southern Tribe will be saved. These women need to remember that the Tribe will not survive if there aren’t sons being born as often as possible. You, Katara”, he said seductively, tilting her chin up as he leaned down, “must be their example. You must remind them what their role really is, and that their duty is to their husband and his desires…”

‘ _Oh, you fat, pompous turd.’_

When he was inches away from her face, Katara brought her hand back and swung it across his face as hard and fast as she could, making a satisfying _slap!_ sound as a red handprint painted his cheek.

Reeling back from the impact, the man cradled his cheek in both hands, looking back at her with utter shock. It quickly dissolved to a highly offended and outraged expression as he stomped back over to her. “How _dare_ you, you stupid, little –“

He didn’t finish his sentence as Katara positioned herself in back stance, raised both her arms and pushed them forward in one graceful movement, sending a small jet of water straight into Inuksuk’s chest, sending him flying out of the open flap.

Katara ignored the gasps of a few bystanders as she marched toward the sputtering, wet mess on the ground. “No, how dare _you?!_ You come into _my_ Tribe, _my_ village, insult my people’s ways and then have the audacity to insinuate that I should set the example of being an overrun wife to all the other women? I don’t think so. I respect others’ opinions and ways of life but _not_ if it is to be forced on my own people. You’re nothing but stiff, misogynistic daddy’s boy and your welcome here has expired.”

A shocked silence followed, and Katara became more aware of the people watching closely around, feeling her cheeks heat up. ‘ _No, stand your ground, do not back down from this.’_

Inuksuk stared back at her with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and severely hurt pride. Then, huffing with every movement, he got to his feet and dusted off his freshly washed parka before pointing a wobbly, accusatory finger. “You’re a stupid, little girl, Katara, and you’re crazy if you think my father won’t hear about this scene you’ve caused today. You’ll be lucky if you _ever_ find a husband.”

With that, the pouting Northerner shot her one last look before waddling back to his ship, muttering a few words to some of the men as he went. Katara felt a twinge of satisfaction every time he glanced back at her over his shoulder before increasing his pace towards the boat.

Then, she became acutely aware of the muttering and locked gazes around her. Some men were shaking their heads disapprovingly. A couple of young women were whispering, looking at her with wide eyes. An old man gazed at her pitifully. Suddenly, her dress felt too tight and too hot, like it would constrict her if she didn’t get it off as soon as possible. Was the village centre normally this crowded? Had the entire Tribe seen what she’d just done? Were they ashamed and disappointed? Had Gran Gran seen it? Had her _father_?

Her gaze frantically searching around the small crowd that had gathered, Katara found her eyes on Toph, who stood facing her, arms crossed. She was grinning like an absolute idiot and giving her a big thumbs up. Katara started toward her with small, quick, shaky steps, keeping her head down as she rushed past the judgmental stares. Toph took a few paces toward her and they met just before the incline to her hut began.

“Nice going, Sugar Queen! I could see things were getting pretty heated in there and was this close to dropping a boulder on that jerk’s face, but you had it all under control yourself”, Toph remarked with pride.

“I messed up, Toph”, Katara said, feeling like a caribou caught in fog lights. “Really badly. Oh, great Tui, why couldn’t I have just kept my temper? I could’ve resolved it if I’d just stayed calm.”

Toph patted her reassuringly on the back. “Sweetness, trust me, that jerk was as fixed as a mountain range in his views. You’re pretty stubborn yourself and there is _no_ way you would’ve been able to put up with that guy’s trash for the rest of your life. Plus, I would actually be pretty annoyed if I came to visit and found the only thing we could do together was knit or clean dishes. Ugh, domestics… You did the right thing.”

Katara scoffed but put an arm around her friend’s waist. “Yeah… try telling that to my father.”

“Yeah no, not gonna happen”, Toph snorted and turned to focus on a spot further up the hill. “But looks like you’ve got a chance to do that now.”

Following her eye line, Katara’s heart dropped into that blasted old pit in her stomach. Just fifty feet away, covered head to toe in a light blue parka and pants with a stern expression on his face, leaning slightly against a cane, stood Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. Her father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooo what's Hakoda going to sayyyyyy  
> Toph is a legend and I live for her and Katara being the coolest best friends.  
> Also, I'm an adrenaline junkie and writing all of this chapter with literally minimal action was such a paaaaiiiiinn uuughhhhhh. I hope it wasn't a pain to read! Trust me though, things are only going to get more exciting from here.
> 
> Again, comments, kudos, and follows are all really appreciated!!  
> xoxo


	3. The Haircut

Katara simply stared up at the man looking expectantly at her ahead. A flock of buzzard wasps was now flying rapidly in all directions in her stomach, and she placed a hand on it to steady herself. She could see Toph grimacing in her peripheral vision and faintly felt the gentle _pat pat_ on her back. She appreciated the effort to calm her, no matter how futile it was.

Before either of them could scamper away, her father started with weighted steps toward the two girls. The frosty air suddenly felt hot and humid.

Still a few good feet away from the girls, her father looked to Toph, nodded and said, “Thank you for accompanying my daughter back, Toph. I’ll speak with her alone now if that’s alright.”

A rare sheepish smile crossed Toph’s face. “Ah, gee, Chief, are you sure? Katara just dealt with the biggest douche I’ve ever witnessed spectacularly –“

‘ _Oh please, shut up Toph…’_

“- and I’d really like to hear all the little details –“

Hakoda shot the young earthbender a look. “Later, Toph. Later.”

Toph had the decency to look somewhat abashed before inching away, mouthing ‘sorry’ to Katara as she headed toward the hut. The older girl smiled appreciatively.

“So”, her father said, sending a small jolt through Katara, “how exactly did the meeting with Inuksuk go?”

_‘Great! The second he opened his big, dumb mouth, I wanted to bend a tidal wave at him. Practically love at first sight!’_

“I, uh…”, Katara struggled for words. Her father was glancing at her knowingly out of the corner of his eye. There was no point in lying.

Katara hung her head. “I’m sorry, Dad, I completely ruined everything. He just started talking about the Northern ways and how he was going to enforce them here and that I was going to make an _example_ to the other women and-“

“Katara, slow down”, he chuckled. Which was a much more disturbing reaction than him yelling.

“I’m not mad. I managed to hear most of it. I don’t know if I would have personally thrown water at him,” he smirked while Katara smiled painfully, “but I definitely wouldn’t have wanted a man like that leading my Tribe, and _certainly_ not marrying my daughter.”

“But, Dad, what about securing ties with the Northern Tribe? Inuksuk, if nothing else, is a big talker and I’m positive he’s not going to keep quiet about what I did. I’ll never be able to fulfill my duty to the Tribe. This was my duty to my people and I failed them. I failed _you_. I’m sorry.”

“Katara…” he trailed off, gaze trailing off from his daughter’s forlorn expression.

They’d walked up to an elevated spot just south-west of their hut. It was an unspoken scared family ground, first marked by four-year-old Sokka when he’d whined about not being able to hunt with his dad. Kya had walked out with little Katara on her hip, jostling her crying baby while comforting her weeping child. From that moment on, whenever Hakoda had had a PTSD moment and needed some alone time, or Sokka had been harbouring some pent-up emotions about a girl rejecting him, or when Katara had just sorely missed her mother, they went to that serene little patch of snow.

In rare moments like this, it became a shared spot, where two family members could reconcile after a fight, or just simply support one another in a moment of strife.

Katara lowered herself down onto the soft blanket of white, she began tracing her finger through the cold substance. Random circles, the Water Tribe insignia, the kanji symbol for love.

 For a moment, it was just Katara and the beautiful surroundings of her homeland. The ever-whistling, crisp cool air that beat an ever-lasting rose colour into her cheeks, the distant bellowing of walrus-whales, the smell of several small fires burning within each village hut. Her heart swelled, and she relished in sensing them all.

The gentle crush of snow and a soft grunt beside her pulled her back into reality, and she flicked her gaze up to her father’s. He was focusing on the horizon, a small smile rested on his lips.

“The year you were born, the Tribe witnessed the worst winter we’d seen in over 20 years. It was like Tui and La were having a fight so bad, it split open a gateway from the Spirit World. Never-ending snowstorms destroyed many huts, and it was almost impossible to hunt. We weren’t entirely sure how we were going to make it.”

“On top of worrying about the wellbeing of the Tribe, I was incredibly scared for the wellbeing of your mother. You hadn’t exactly given her an easy pregnancy”, he continued with a slight chuckle, “and the foul weather definitely wasn’t relieving her in those last few months. She went into labour on the winter solstice. I had to stay on the other side of the hut blocking Sokka’s ears while Kanna was helping Kya through the worst of it. You gave your mother absolute hell for 11 hours, but when you finally came out, it was though a little bundle of heaven had been delivered as a reward.”

“Over the next week, the snowstorms became weaker and fewer, and the men were able to hunt again. We were so happy to have made it through, we decided to hold a small festival. A part of me held it in honour of you”, he turned to face his daughter, rubbing his nose gently against hers. “We went through quite possibly the toughest time our Tribe had faced and came out stronger.”

Katara now fully turned to face her father, searching his eyes, brows furrowing slightly. He smiled back.

“I’ve always considered you a gift, Katara. A gift to your family, a gift to the Tribe, and”, he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, “a gift to the world. They don’t know it yet, and you may not either, but one day, you’re going to do great things, and the world is going to see it and cherish you just as much as I do.”

Katara gazed up at her father with complete adoration, then leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his sturdy frame. She still felt insecure about his words, but the fact he’d said them despite the complete raucous she’d just caused filled her to the brim with love and respect. She sunk in further as big arms pulled her closer.

“Thanks, Dad”, she murmured into the fluff of his parka.

A calloused hand smoothed down her hair, and she leaned into the touch.

They stayed like that just a moment longer before looking at one another with soft expressions. Father and daughter then got to their feet and made their way back home.

* * *

Katara strolled through the winter wonderland, soft flakes dancing in the air around her. She laughed, sticking out her tongue and catching the tiny flecks of white. It was the dawn of springtime, the temperature a few small degrees warmer and the sun all the much brighter. Everything around her was blue and white and gentle shades in between. Beaming, she flung her arms out and let her weight fall behind, flopping down into the powdery snow beneath her. The small flakes continued to sway in the gentle breeze, a few of them coming to rest on her thick dark eyelashes.

Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply before blowing the air out, sending some little specks twirling back the way they came. Suddenly, a new, foreign smell drifted into her senses, and she propped herself up on her elbows, looking around. A drop of sunlight was blowing gently in the wind a few feet from her.

Katara got up, eyes narrowing at this intriguing spot of light. As she got closer, its rays formed into graceful points and enriched in colour.

It was a flower, unlike any she’d ever seen. Its brilliant orange contrasted with the pale whites and blues around her. Its speckled red centre and tenting petals looked royal and elegant, and she marveled at it, turning it over slightly.

Some of the flakes had started to fall onto it now, making it all the more beautiful as small beams of light caught every single colour possible and made it sparkle.

All of a sudden, the flakes became grey, and the beautiful flower started to wilt. Katara frantically tried to dust them off but the smoky specks were only falling faster and harder. The air became thick and difficult to breathe, and a coughing fit began to take her over. Glancing around, she tried to see what was the cause, yet around her, the world still seemed clean and pure. The coughing got harsher.

Spluttering as she awoke, Katara’s eyes flung open to see the roof of her bedroom. Catching her breath, she laid there a moment before she realised the awful dirty thickness was still in the air. Blinking away the last few traces of sleep, she sat up.

“Gran-Gran? Dad? What’s going on? Is there a fire?”

Pushing away the drape that separated her room from the rest of the hut, she looked around. Gran-Gran sat at the table, a troubled expression on her face. Her father was nowhere to be seen.

The old woman looked up at Katara approached, forcing a smile. “Good morning, my dear. How was your sleep?”

Katara knelt beside her, resting a hand over her grandmother’s. “Gran-Gran, where’s Dad? Why is the air so hard to breathe?”

For a moment, she simply stared at the young girl, eyes shining with a hint of pain in her smile. Then, she turned her gaze out the front door, and her shoulders visibly sagged. Following her line of vision, Katara’s heart stopped at the distant sight in the harbour. An industrial warship had docked.

Without another word, Katara snatched up her parka, threw on her boots and ran toward the bay. Her lungs burned, throat stung from the sharp intake of cool air, but she soldiered on. They weren’t going to take her father; not like they’d taken her brother.

Reaching the crowd that had formed, Katara’s eyes darted around, searching frantically. Every man started to look like him, and her heart thumped faster with every man she realised he wasn’t. Finally, she picked out the familiar set of blue eyes and goatee, and her chest breathed a sigh of relief.

Running forward toward him, she called out, “Dad? What’s happening?”

Hakoda turned, wide, concerned eyes meeting her own. “Katara, you should be inside. Go home.”

Shaking her head fervently, she planted her feet. Her father seemed to consider things for a moment before sighing in resignation. “Fine, just stay behind me and stay quiet. It’s an Earth Kingdom warship, we need to find out what they’re here for.”

The crowd was chattering away, commotion stirred by whoever had just pulled into Water Tribe territory. Suddenly, the beat of drums that Katara hadn’t even realised where being sounded grew closer. The crowd quietened down, reduced a few small gasps and ‘look!’, ‘are they more Northerners?’. Katara craned her head, trying to get a glimpse, but only saw flashes of blue here and there.

Suddenly, the drums stopped, and total silence followed. Katara stood on her toes.

A grave voice rang out. “Members of the Southern Water Tribe, my name is Master Pakku. I am a leading officer in General Iroh’s United Forces and a waterbending master of the Northern Water Tribe.”

‘ _Waterbending master?’_ Katara strained to see through the captivated crowd.

“I come bearing news directly from General Iroh himself.” A pause. “Ozai and his forces have stormed the Southern and Western Air Temples, capturing and killing many Air nomads. Half the population has been decimated.”

Gasps of horror sounded from all around her, and Katara’s shaky hand covered her mouth.

“It is clear that Ozai has become a threat too powerful for anyone to ignore anymore, and if he wins the war, it is probable that many other Nations will suffer this fate. In order to combat this threat, one man from every family must serve in the name of unity and justice for all. When I call your name, step forth and take your conscription notice.”

The weight of his words and what they meant sunk into Katara, and she turned to face her father. He looked as though the wind has just been knocked out of him, but after a split second, he straightened to his full height, trained his eyes ahead and set his jaw. He looked exactly as he had the day he’d left for the civil war; only older, wearier, and more pained. Katara’s heart shattered.

“The Arvaluk family!”

Katara watched as the middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd. Her heart pounded in her chest as he returned, eyes fierce and muscles tensing.

“The Erkloo family!”

An old man heaved a sigh, went to take a step but was blocked by a younger man. Katara knew him to be Rakone, a boy a couple of years older than Sokka. He and her brother had been good friends throughout their childhood, playing ‘hunter and prey’ every day together. When the enlistment ship her brother went on board had arrived, he had decided to stay behind and maintain his duty of hunting for the Tribe. Now, he stood strong in front of the Tribe elder, and announced, “I will serve in my father’s place.”

Katara watched him thoughtfully as he made his way back to the crowd. Their eyes met and he nodded. She smiled encouragingly and nodded back.

“The Piqtoukun family!”

For a moment, no one moved. Then, heart sinking as she watched, a boy Katara knew to be no older than 15 came forward. His eyes screamed warrior, but his mouth trembled ever so slightly. Jaw clenching, he took the notice, bowed, then walked back into the crowd, knuckles going white at his side.

“The Tapakku family!”

Whatever erratic movements Katara’s heart had been doing before did nothing to prepare her for the way it dropped dead in her chest then. Spinning to look at her father, she felt her vision going cloudy as he took a deep breath and lifted his head stoically, marching unevenly forward toward the front of the crowd. No, no this wasn’t happening.

Legs surging forward, pushing her way to the clearing ahead, she didn’t even realise she had moved until she stood between her father and Master Pakku, looking defiantly up at the white-haired man.

“Please, Master Pakku, my father is Chief of the Tribe; we need him for leadership and guidance.”

“Katara,” her father gripped at her arm from behind, but she shrugged him off.

“Plenty of our men have already signed up for the war, you can’t take them all!” she cried, knowing she was practically begging.

“You dare to order me around, child?” Master Pakku glared at her, maintaining his tall, rigid frame.

Katara glared back, pursing her lips. “Yes, considering you aren’t part of our Tribe and come here acting like you have the right to conscript men who are too young, too old or too injured to fight. My father has already served in combat, fighting against _your_ people in that stupid civil war”, she spat, a fire raging inside of her.

Pakku regarded her for another second before looking through her to her father. “You would be wise to teach your daughter some respect, Chief Hakoda. You would never see Princess Yue acting so petulantly in the presence of men of authority.”

Her father wasn’t gentle as he pulled her back behind him and bowed. “My sincere apologise for her behaviour. I’m sure she meant no disrespect, but I’ll make sure she learns from this mistake.”

With that, Katara watched as he took the envelope and marched back to the hut without another look in her direction.

* * *

Dinner hadn’t been that quiet since the night Sokka left. Toph had excused herself before the meal, bidding farewell to the family, saying it was best she not scare her parents anymore and return home. Katara had hugged her especially tight, throat constricting as she said goodbye to her best friend.

From the moment the young earthbender had left, silence fell on the household. Gran-Gran looked utterly broken, yet continued the motions of serving up the steamed halibut and rice. She caught Katara’s eye on multiple occasions, both women having to look away rapidly as tears threatened to fall. Her father and she had had a row the minute they’d walked into the house, Katara confronting him on his change in attitude. He’d scolded back, saying how this was bigger than any Tribe matters and certainly bigger than the two of them. Afterward, he hadn’t spared her a glance all night.

Katara could hardly eat; she’d been picking up her rice grain by grain with chopsticks for the last twenty minutes. She didn’t know if she could stomach the fish.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she observed her two remaining family members. Gran-Gran had long finished her meal and was simply tracing her finger around the rim of her teacup, staring into the liquid intently. Hakoda was politely working his way through his food, pausing occasionally to pinch the bridge of his nose or rub his temple. The lines on his face that had been developing for the past few years suddenly looked so much more evident.

Suddenly, Katara couldn’t take it. She dropped her chopsticks and slammed her palms on the table.

“You shouldn’t have to go!”

He still didn’t look at her, but sighed, carefully placing his chopsticks down. “Katara, I don’t have a choice. I'm doing this so you can have a future.”

“There are plenty of young, able-bodied men already fighting. Besides, we need you here. You have a duty to the Tribe. To our family!”

“I am doing this _for_ my family”, he argued, voice beginning to rise. “If I can help prevent the war from hurting my mother and daughter, then that’s what I’m going to do.”

Katara stood up, eyes stinging with salty tears. “What about _you_? What if _you_ get hurt in the war? We need you, Dad! We’ve already lost Mum; we can’t lose you!”

Hakoda rose up, eyes narrowing down on her. “We wouldn’t have lost Kya if it wasn’t for this war in the first place! It’s my duty as a husband and father to help bring justice for not just her, but for everyone who has lost or been lost in this war. I can’t stay home while others lay down their lives just because my young, selfish daughter doesn’t want me to go. My duty as a man of honour is to fight for those who can’t in this war. You need to remember yours.”

A small gasp escaped her lips, and the tears that had been welling now fell freely. She stared at her father for a moment longer before running out the front of the hut, making it a small distance away before collapsing down into the snow. She gripped at the flaky substance, sobs wracking her body as she curled in on herself.

Minutes, hours – she wasn’t sure – passed as the crying slowed and she stared out at the starry horizon. She shivered just slightly, but couldn’t find the strength to go inside and get her parka. She brought her knees to her chest and clutched them.

The air was still and silent, save for the quiet tune it whistled. The sky was littered with stars everywhere she looked, yet lacked the moon’s soft brilliance. New moon, Katara realised.

Looking back to the hut, she could register the faint voices of her grandmother and father. She sighed. She couldn’t stay out all night, no matter how much she craved the escape. It would just be immature and petulant.

Heaving a sigh, she got to her feet and started to walk back. As she got closer though, she picked up on the conversation happening within and slowed her pace.

Her father sounded tired. “I need to do this, Ana*. I’ll be labelled a criminal if I avoid conscription.”

“Hakoda, you are Chief,” Gran-Gran was struggling to remain calm. “They will understand that the Tribe needs you. And if they don’t, I will talk to Pakku myself.”

He chuckled, though it was strained. “As much as I would love to see that, it’s not possible.”

A pause.

“Besides, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself knowing that young men, _boys_ , of our Tribe were going to fight while I remained here. What kind of Chief would I be if I sent my own men off to battle without leading them toward it myself?”

“An alive one”, her grandmother retorted.

Another pause.

“Please, my son, you and I both know you aren’t fit for war. Your days of swordfights are long gone. Katara knows it too. If you board that ship, it will be a one-way ticket to the Spirit World.” Katara could hear her choking back tears.

When Hakoda next spoke up, his voice was slightly muffled. “Hush, Ana. It’ll be okay. I promise, everything will work out.”

There was no hiding the waver in his voice.

Katara turned her head away, struggling to hold her composure and spot of secrecy. She had bit down on her knuckle to stop the cries from coming out again.

There was a pregnant pause before her father spoke up again, words clear and strong once more. “The United Forces vessel leaves at dawn. New recruits are to sail themselves to their assigned location… various different training camps all over the Four Nations.”

A final pause.

“I’ll prepare to leave by sundown tomorrow. Need the day to organise arrangements for the Tribe while I’m gone.”

It took all of Katara’s willpower not to rush in at the sound of her grandmother’s sniffling. Her father was whispering softly to her, but the sound of footsteps heading away told Katara she’d left for her room. A sigh of defeat escaped her father.

Taking a deep breath, Katara waited a few more seconds before walking in. Hakoda looked up immediately, eyes brimming with unshed tears. He wiped his eyes.

“Good, you’re back. I was worried I’d come out to find you with pneumonia”, he said gruffly.

Katara nodded, rocking slightly back and forth on her feet.

Her father got up and started to make his way over to her. Glancing up, expecting to find the same sternness as before, Katara was thrown to see nothing but pained love in his expression. She practically crumpled as he reached a hand up to stroke her hair.

“I need you to promise me that you’ll take care of Gran-Gran and the Tribe, okay?”

She searched his eyes for a moment, then reached up to cover his hand with her own. “I promise, Dad. I won’t let anything happen to them.”

He breathed a small sigh of relief, as though the world wasn’t as much of a burden on his shoulders now. “Good, good.”

He smiled softly, then choked out, “I’m going to miss you so much.”

Katara’s throat felt like it was closing up. “I’m gonna miss you, too.”

Their heads bumped together, and noses rubbed in a gentle, intimate way. Katara breathed in a shaky breath as her arms reached around her father’s large frame. Breathe in, two, three, four, five. Out, two, three, four, five, six, seven. She focused on his concentrated breathing as some sort of solace.

For a small eternity, they did nothing but clutch at each other. Then, hands gripped her shoulders and her father peeled away, looking at her lovingly. “You should go to bed, get some rest.”

She nodded, then started toward her room. Lifting and ducking under the flap, it was practically closed when she turned to see her father pulling something out from a basket beside the hut entrance. A long, ivory and blue scabbard was revealed, the Water Tribe symbol shown proudly in the centre. Her father inspected it for a moment, then in one swift movement, brandished the sword from it. It was in pristine condition, and she could see her father’s hardened eyes in its reflection. He switched hands, moved into a balanced stance and started to go through a pattern. A few broad sweeps, some shorter strokes. Then he moved to jab it to the left, and his face contorted in pain. The weapon dropped with a soft _clang_ and he clutched at his crippled leg. His breath was coming out short and staggered as he leaned against the table, staring up at the ceiling.

Katara clutched at her heart, finally turning away to sit on the edge of her bed. There was no doubt in her mind now; if her father left on his boat the next day, she would never see him again. Sokka would come home, wearing a medal for service, ready to proudly show his veteran father only to find he’d been lost in the very war he’d just returned from. Gran-Gran losing her son might just be too much for her old heart to handle.

The young waterbender cradled her head in her hands. Hopelessness started to sink in.

She remembered watching the young men earlier in the day go to accept their conscription, and her mind darted to Rakone. He’d had a duty to the Tribe, to hunt and provide for his people. He’d been content, proud to do that for his family. Yet, as soon as his old man was basically handed his death sentence, he didn’t hesitate to step in and take his place. The kind of courage and honour that took… she admired him greatly for it. It was the most selfless display of love.

Her eyes flickered toward the flap separating her room from the rest of the hut. Her father accepted that conscription notice with honour and dignity, though he knew in his heart of hearts he’d never return home. Katara wanted to punch a wall.

She turned to look out of her window at the village below, and further beyond that to the ocean. The water was still that night, and the air quiet. A lone howling polar bear dog broke the silence.

For not the first time in her life, Katara cursed the fact she was a girl. She was proud of her sex, sure, but she had a burning desire to do more than what her gender was deemed fit for. She _knew_ she do could do more. If she was a boy, she could waterbend all she wanted, learn to fight as she craved to. She could go out and be independent and not have to worry about sexist remarks. She could step in her father’s place and serve in the war.

Katara’s eyes widened. The implications of what she’d just realised were swimming around in her mind. If she were a boy… she could save her father’s life.

Hopelessness, despair, and fear were gone now. They’d been replaced with determination.

Listening out to make sure she could hear the gentle snoring of both her father and grandmother, Katara crept out of her room. Carefully looking through the kitchen, she grabbed a handful of sea prunes, some leftover rice, and a few strips of seal jerky. Stuffing them into a bag, she noticed a water skin her father used to take with him on hunting expeditions. She snatched that too.

Hesitating for only a second, she grabbed her father’s sword and disappeared back into her room. Kneeling down in front of her small mirror, she drew it out. It was so incredibly clean, luminescent almost as it caught the light of stars outside. She turned it over, seeing her own blue eyes narrowing in certainty. Taking a deep breath, she gathered a section of her long, thick, wavy hair into her hands. Shoulder height should be short enough.

_Slice_ as the blade went through, cleanly cutting her free. She didn’t pause to look as she continued with the rest of her hair.

When Katara was finally done, she looked straight up to meet her reflection. Her dark chocolate locks that had always made her seem so feminine, so soft and elegant, now looked strong, sharp, framing her face like a warrior. She smirked. The hair loopie bands had been taken out and put carefully into her pocket; getting rid of them completely was one thing she couldn’t do.

She walked into Sokka’s room and scouted around. There were blue bands sitting near his bed that Katara had seen him using to tie back his wolf tail. She packed a couple into her bag and used one to tie her hair into a traditional warrior’s bun.

She couldn’t help the soft chuckle as she realised how much of a mess his room still was after over a year of being unlived in. Only him. Rummaging through piles of clothes he’d left all over the floor, she managed to pick out some breeches, a short-sleeved tunic, a fur coat, a pair of smelly boots, some arm guards and a small war poncho Gran-Gran had knitted for him to play in as a boy. Katara held it up to her chest, measuring up. It’d fit perfectly.

Oh right, her chest. She’d have to make sure her sarashi was particularly tight.

A few minutes later, her chest was bound, her arms strapped and guarded, clothes thrown on and fur coat secured around her shoulders. She fastened a belt around her hips, clipping the water skin to one side and the scabbard to the other. Hoisting her bag up, she looked in the mirror one last time, doing a small double take.

It was incredible how much she looked like a younger Sokka. Her breasts had been bound so tight that she was practically flat, and the thick clothes made her slim build seem straight, slightly lanky, but definitely broader. Her face was in full view with her hair tied back, making her features sharper and more angular. Her brows furrowed and she smirked. She looked like a warrior.

Going into the kitchen, she found her father’s conscription notice lying ominously on the table. She took a moment to just look at it.

The second she picked up that piece of parchment and walked out the door, she couldn’t go back. Her life would change forever. She wouldn’t be beautiful Katara of the Southern Water Tribe anymore, she would be Katara, the girl who impersonated a soldier and joined the war. Her future would be irrefutably changed for better or worse.

She considered herself for a moment, before reaching behind her neck and undoing her mother’s necklace. Straightening up and squaring her shoulders, she didn’t hesitate another moment as she switched the necklace for the parchment, took one last look at her safe, beloved home, and walked down toward the dock.

* * *

Reaching the dock, Katara realised that she hadn’t actually thought about her next move. While she was relatively skilled in sailing, she wasn’t sure she could captain her father’s yacht all the way to the Earth Kingdom. She looked around, biting her lip as she observed her surroundings. She didn’t exactly feel comfortable stealing a Tribesman’s boat, but she wasn’t sure if there was much choice.

‘ _Good going, Katara. You join the war only to be defeated by transportation.’_

Her eyes landed on the towering Earth Kingdom warship, small puffs of smoke coming out of its large funnels. Pakku and the rest of the army would be returning to wherever they came from the next day. She narrowed her eyes and wondered…

Unrolling the scroll, she skimmed over the sentences until she found what she was looking for. ‘You are required to travel north-west to the Ba Sing Se training camp, under command of Colonel Lu Ten.’

There was a small map imprinted beneath it, showing the route taken from the Southern Water Tribe, all the way around to the outer wall of the largest Earth Kingdom city. Katara pursed her lips.

 Rolling the parchment back up, she placed it in her bag and began walking toward the warship. If she could figure out just exactly where it was going, maybe she might have the possibility of hitching a ride to the camp. As she got nearer, she overheard voices and ran to the side of the ship, hiding behind the shadows.

Irritation stirred as she picked out Pakku’s pompous voice. “I’ve had quite enough of the barbaric lack of manners and courtesy in the South. I frankly can’t wait to leave.”

“When _do_ we leave, sir?” a man called out.

“My orders are clear; we set sail at the break of dawn and return to Ba Sing Se at once. Colonel Lu Ten requires my assistance in overseeing the training of recruits there, especially with that _boy_ about to have a troop of his own”, he replied, the word ‘boy’ coming out with particular malice. “The rest of you are to return to your posts guarding the wall. With this state-of-the-art vessel, it shouldn’t take more than a week to reach the Earth Kingdom.”

Katara beamed. This was perfect; straight sail for Ba Sing Se. All she had to do was get on and stay completely hidden on the ship until they reached the Earth Kingdom. Oh.

She took a step back and looked over the entire boat. Dawn was fast approaching, and she needed to be aboard well before then. Eyes skimming over the metal vessel, she made mental notes of what she could see. No portholes, no windows, no clear trapdoors.

A tiny dent between two panels near the water caught her attention, and she moved closer toward it. Standing on the edge of the peer, she could see there was a definite lapse in the smoothness of structure, and with a little bit of pressure, she might just be able to crack it enough to slip inside.

Stretching her arms out in front with fingers splayed, she slowly pulled them up, feeling the water rise with her movements. A platform of water swayed at the end of the platform, and with a small breath, Katara stepped on. A rush of adrenaline warmed her body. She’d never get tired of the thrill of bending.

Movements gentle and precise, she lowered herself down and around until she was right next to the damaged part of the ship. Trying to remember what she’d heard Sokka going on about with his scientific discoveries, she separated a small section of water and brought it up to the crack, letting it flow gently over it and freeze.

Her brother had mentioned something about metal becoming fragile when cold, and therefore easier to break. If she could hit it hard enough, she might just be able to pull back the panel and sneak on board.

Doing one final check that no one could see or hear her, she got to work.

* * *

 

A solid twenty minutes later, Katara finally heard a satisfying crack.

‘ _Oh, thank Tui and La.’_

Bracing herself, she started to heave on the metal panel, wincing as it creaked and groaned in protest. If she could just get it open a foot or two, she could squeeze her small frame in. She gritted her teeth, muscles tensing as she gave it everything she had.

Looking up, she realised that the night sky was starting to lighten quickly, and panic began to set in.

“Come on, please just, _open_ ”, she grunted.

She could hear the men within starting to shout orders, and heard the sound of engines firing up. The adrenaline she got from it was all she needed for that last heave, and the panel screeched open. Letting out a small, breathless laugh, she twisted inside and pulled the panel shut behind.

Taking a brief moment to catch her breath, Katara looked around. It seemed to be a storeroom of some sort, though she wasn’t entirely sure what for. There were empty crates all around her, and she opened the lids to see if she could get any sort of clue. She reached inside one, pulling out a few strands of what appeared to be bison and yak fur. Ah, of course; the desert and tropic people of the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation weren’t used to the cold like she was.

Gently placing the lid back down, Katara opened her bag and dug out a couple of sea prunes. She tried to make them last, but the growing growl of her stomach couldn’t cope with patience. She sighed, realising that she was going to have to harshly ration her small selection of food to make it through the week.

Finding a spot behind the crates, Katara sat herself down and closed her eyes, praying to her ancestors and the Spirits around her. It was going to be a long journey.

* * *

 

Hakoda woke to the sound of his mother frantically calling out from her room, her words indistinguishable in his state of somewhat consciousness. Bolting to his feet, he raced into her room, eyes blinking away the sleep, the morning’s first light blinding him.

Her crinkled eyes were sad yet certain as she looked at him. “Katara’s gone.”

“What?” he murmured, turning around to head toward his daughter’s room. Tearing open the flap, his heart plummeted as he saw her bed completely empty. Her clothes were left gently folded on her covers, her fur coat hanging over the edge of her mirror. His eyes widened as he took in the large pile of brown hair at the foot of it, racing forward, crumbling to his knees as he gently picked up the beautiful locks.

“Hakoda”, his mother announced behind him. He swerved around to meet her gaze. “Sokka’s clothes and your sword are gone too. And this”, her voice broke as she pulled something from behind her back, “was left on the table.”

It was Kya’s necklace, the one that Katara had refused to take off for more than a decade. A shaking hand reached to his mouth and his mind raced, frantically putting the pieces together.

Scrambling to his feet, he moved past his mother to grab his parka. “I’m going after her.”

A hand grabbed his elbow and he wheeled around to see his mother’s heartbroken face. “You can’t, my son. You know what will happen to her if you reveal she’s a girl.”

Hakoda felt utterly hopeless, torn between listening to his mother and running off to protect his little girl no matter what. “Ana, she could die. I lost Kya, I… I can’t lose her.”

He choked back sobs as the petite women pulled him into her embrace. “I know, my child, I know. But if you reveal her, she _will_ die. You must have faith; she’s strong and smart, and so incredibly stubborn. If any girl can do this, it is Katara.”

He straightened up, the heartbreaking reality setting on his heart. He held his dizzy head, swaying as he fell into a chair at the table, his entire world crashing around him. He was already dealing with the prospect of his son being lost to the war; he couldn’t cope if he had to grapple with losing his daughter too.

His mother sat down beside him, grabbing his hands in her own, thumb caressing the calloused skin. His face screwed up in pain as she spoke softly. “Ancestors, Tribesmen and women before us, Tui and La, all good spirits who have been and are yet to have been; we call upon you in this hour. Please, watch over Katara as she journeys forward, protect her in this terrible war, guide her as she fights for what is right and just. Bring her home to us safe and sound.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: you posted not even a week ago, just wait before you put chp 3 up  
> also me; you proofread this mf FIVE TIMES, post it now. ya pussy
> 
> For real tho, i am going to make an effort to keeping chapter updates to once a week just so theres some regularity soooo yeah :))  
> * Ana loosely translates to mother in a language from Inuit tribes. gotta love google   
> ___________________________________________________________  
> ubbe: thank you so much!! glad you're enjoying it so far. and youll find out soon enough ;) zuko is on his way


	4. Another Chance

Suffice to say… Aang was bored. Out of his mind. Banging his head against a wall would be more exciting than this.

It was a section of the Spirit world all the past Avatars had decided to claim as their own special haven. It was peaceful, tranquil, and in Aang’s opinion, totally boring.

He was by far the youngest Avatar there by at least 30 years. That wasn’t to say he didn’t get along with the others; Roku was particularly good for a laugh or story, Yangchen when he missed his fellow airbenders. But sometimes, he just missed being a kid.

He was still relatively new to the Spirit World; wasn’t entirely sure exactly how long he’d been there given that time was simply a construct, and immeasurable in the realm of the Spirits. But it had honestly felt like an eternity since he’d first sat down in this circle of Avatars, gathering to discuss something important.

Suddenly, all small talk ceased as a single figure stood up from the circle, floating towards its centre. Aang watched in awe as the seemingly very young Avatar, whom he’d never even seen before, cleared his throat.

“My fellow Avatars, I know some of you must be wondering why I’ve called this meeting. Others may know all too well”, he said solemnly, his deep copper eyes meeting Aang’s for a split second.

He paused, looking down, before continuing with ferocity. “Our time in the material world has long since passed, and we now get to enjoy the bliss of eternal peace; well-deserved after all each and every single one of us achieved in our time as _the_ Avatar. Yet, just because we no longer walk among our fellow men and women, does not mean our duty to bring balance and peace to the world has stopped. We must always be ready and willing to do what we can when the world needs us.”

“That time has come again, and the threat against the world has never been so great.” His eyes gleamed. “For those who are unaware, civilisation is currently at the mercy of a tyrant. One so powerful and ruthless, he threatens to wipe out the only thing that can maintain the peace and balance: us.”

A few shocked gasps echoed around the circle, Aang even picked up on some growls. Looking over to Roku, he saw the old Avatar bowing and shaking his head in despair.

The centred Avatar continued. “Fire Lord Ozai has divided his own people and the entire world. He is a power-hungry ruler bent on destroying all he can’t control. So far, he’s succeeded and taken out half of the Air Nation, including our very own and very young Avatar Aang”, Aang’s eyes widened as the speaking Avatar brought the attention to him, “who’d barely begun to live.”

The copper eyes were shining sympathetically at him, before returning to address the entire audience. “If we are to protect the Avatar Cycle and in turn, protect the world, we must act and help those who are fighting to stop Ozai.”

Murmurs of agreement ran out, and a very loud ‘here, here!’ came from Kyoshi.

“Avatar Wan”, a waterbender named Yuksa spoke up, “how can we hope to do anything? I’m aware that the next Avatar is Water Tribe, so believe me when I say that I want nothing more than to personally bring this heathen to justice, but what can we hope to do? As you said, our time in the material world is over, there is literally _nothing_ we can do.”

The centred Avatar, which Aang figured to be Wan, chuckled softly. “A very valid point, Avatar Yuksa. We’ve all ascended, and the current Avatar is still in her mother’s womb. We can’t _personally_ do anything. However, I believe that there may be another way we can play our part in defeating Ozai and restoring balance.”

Choruses of ‘how’s, ‘what’s, ‘why’s and ‘where’s sounded around the circle, and Aang silently joined in. Wan held up his hands, calling for silence, before he spoke again. “We can do this is in the same way we’ve done it for thousands of years; by providing guidance. I’ve been watching and observing closely for the past few years, sensing that a warrior with the power to change the course of the war would come. I believe that warrior has finally arrived.”

The air beside him began to swirl, twisting and flipping in on itself until it started to create a picture. Aang watched on as the face of a girl with chestnut skin and really, _really_ pretty blue eyes formed beside Wan.

Everyone looked on curiously as Wan gestured to the beautiful face. “This is Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. She has just run away from home, dressed as a man to take her crippled father’s place in the war.”

There were a few grunts of disapproval, but the roaring applause of some of the female Avatars overwhelmed them. Aang found himself looking at the girl’s face, utterly star struck.

“As many of you know, the Water Tribe is more… traditional in their ways of gender roles. Women are respected healers and beloved mothers, men are esteemed hunters and praised warriors. Katara here doesn’t seem to approve of her people’s ways.”

“Good on her, I say!” Kyoshi called out, beaming as she looked around. She made very obvious eye contact with Yuksa and Kuruk. “It’s about time the Water Tribe loosened up and let women take a stand.”

Wan raised his hands in a placating manner. “Let’s not get all political now, Avatar Kyoshi. Regardless of whether or not the Water Tribe’s traditions are respectable, Katara will be punished severely if she is found out. And I believe she may be one of our best shots at securing the safety of the world. I sense great power in her; not just in her bending, but in her will, determination, and spirit. I believe that with some guidance, she could make a serious impact on the outcome of the war.”

Aang looked down in thought. He’d never really loved being the Avatar while he was alive, always preferring to goof off and play with his friends. The whole responsibility and title of ‘The Avatar’ had been a lot for a thirteen-year-old boy to handle. Only now that his life had been taken from him did he realise what an opportunity he’d had to bring to the world. He could have stopped the war, maybe even defeated Ozai himself, but the Fire Nation had butchered him and his people mercilessly without a second glance. He’d never even gotten the chance to see what he could do.

Maybe _this_ was the destiny, his duty in the afterlife; to help this Water Tribe girl stop Ozai and save the world.

He hadn’t fully realised that everyone around him was talking over the top of each other, voices clashing in heated discussion. Taking a deep breath and squeezing his eyes shut, he jumped up and blurted, “I’ll do it!”

Silence fell, and he peeked out from his under his lashes to see every face turned in his direction, Wan in particular looking at him thoughtfully. The young Avatar walked toward him, expression pensive. “Why do you want to go, Avatar Aang? Are you sure you can handle this responsibility?”

It wasn’t asked menacingly, or even in a teasing manner. The other Avatar was actually interested in Aang’s reasons. After a moment, the young boy spoke up. “You all brought something to the world.  Balance, peace, new amazing things… I never even got the chance.”

He looked up defiantly around the circle. “I want to be able to help, to have done something for the world. To be the Avatar I never got to be. I don’t care if I don’t get recognition, or have a statue built in my honour…” he looked down. “I just want to be able to know that I did the right thing.”

“Aang,” the young airbender jumped as he felt a slim hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Wan looking down at him. “This is a big responsibility. I understand that you want to be helpful, but are you sure you’ve got the wisdom of some the other Avatars? You are still very young and don’t have the same experience as others here”, he said softly.

Aang nodded respectfully. “I understand, and I know that there are definitely Avatars more capable than me for this role, but... something changes you when you’re killed. When you watch your family and friends die around you before death comes for you too. The monks always taught me that all life is sacred, that every living thing should be respected. I didn’t fully understand what they meant until I was staring into the eyes of the man holding a sword to my side. The Air nomads taught me so many lessons: about life, love, sacrifice, and freedom. Seeing such a disregard for all those lessons right before I passed on gave me clarity. I believe that I can truly make sure that Katara stays on the right path and is kept safe so she can help end the war. I’ll do it through the lessons I learned the hard way, so she doesn’t have to.”

Wan’s eyes widened a fraction before he smiled and nodded respectfully back. “Those are indeed some very wise words, Avatar Aang”, he said with a wink.

Turning back to the rest of the gathered Avatars, Wan spoke loud and clear. “Avatar Aang illustrates wisdom beyond his years lived, and a pure heart full of the absolute best intentions. All those in favour of sending Avatar Aang to be the spiritual guide for Katara of the Southern Water Tribe?”

After only a moment, people started to stand, Kyoshi, Roku, and Yangchen among the first. They all smiled encouragingly at him, and Aang felt every single one of those smiles strengthening his spirit. He looked back at Wan, and the two Avatars bowed to each other.

“Good luck, Avatar Aang. All Avatars, past and present, stand with you as you go forth to bring balance to the world.”

* * *

Katara was so thankful she’d lived by the ocean her entire life; she’d grown accustomed to the harsh rocking of disconcerted seas. Over the past few days, she’d been dealing with slight grogginess and nausea while the men above had very audibly had it a lot worse. The poor souls.

It had been six days since they’d first set sail, and Katara couldn’t wait for the second they finally docked. On day three, she’d run out of food, having to wait until the very, very early hours of the morning (or very late hours of night, depending on who you asked) to sneak into a storeroom a few doors down where there was an array of intriguing, colourful fruits she’d never seen before. She’d quickly grabbed as many as she could, along with a peculiar looking bottle, and snuck back into her personal hiding spot.

Turns out the exotic fruit was incredibly sweet and juicy, unlike anything they had in the Water Tribe. Katara particularly loved the tiny red balls with furry tendrils sticking out. She’d figured out the most enjoyable way to eat them was to peel back the skin, revealing the cloudy ball of solidified juice inside. She’d squealed in delight when it had first burst in her mouth.

She quickly worked out the ominous bottle she’d grabbed had some type of alcohol in it. She felt slightly bad as she tipped it out of her makeshift window and refilled it with sea water, but becoming a true sailor wasn’t on her list of priorities. Instead, she’d spent some time finding ways to bend the water away from the salt, separating it into something fresh and filtered. The excess salt had made an excellent face scrub. She gave herself a pat on the back at the discovery of her new skill.

Since waterbending for girls in her Tribe was viewed as absolute taboo, Katara had learned most of her skills through experimenting and self-discovery, testing her abilities using dangerous methods. She chuckled, remembering the time her brother had gone running in terror as she rolled down a hill, completely encased in a giant snowball, laughing like a madman as she gained on him.

As she’d gotten older and more aware, she’d begun to realise that water was all around her. Gran-Gran had been completely dumbfounded to discover their already dry sea prunes had shrivelled up to the size of snow rat droppings. Katara had sheepishly grinned while her father raised a playful eyebrow at her.

She perched herself near her makeshift window, looking out to the sea passing by. What else could she do? What were the limits of her bending? Just how far could she take her power?

Her eyes widened at the sound of approaching footsteps. As quietly as she could, she leapt from her stack of crates by the ship’s opening and darted around to her hidden sleeping spot, listening out intently.

“I tell you, Wei, the sooner we’re off this ship, the better”, a shaky voice sounded from outside.

She heard someone gag and then shudder. “You said it. Just imagine the mountain ranges…”

“The desserts…”

“The cities…”

“The girls…”

The two men snickered before the ship lurched slightly, and Katara heard the pair stumble forward. She giggled softly.

“I swear, it’s like we’re cursed. Sea life generally sucks, but this trip especially… the _worst_!”

“Thank Agni we’re docking tomorrow.”

That peaked Katara’s interest. She leaned back slightly, shifting a few inches closer to the conversation.

“You’re heading for Omashu, right? That’s quite a trip across the country”, one of them commented.

“Yeah, but I heard one of the commanding officers saying we’d dock first at Qingzhou so those stationed at Ba Sing Se can travel inland before the ship travels around the continent to reach Omashu and Gaoling. Where are you based again?”

“I’m a guard on the wall. _Aaaaand_ I’m going to have to organise transport there”, he sighed.

“Don’t worry; they’ve got the best markets in Qingzhou. You’ll be able to find something easily, as long as you know how to ride. I once leased an ostrich horse for two gold pieces a day there.”

A gasp. “ _Two gold_ – that’s a bargain!”

“I know. So don’t worry, Ton. If you’re stressing about getting to Ba Sing Se, you really don’t need to. Whatever you’re most comfortable with, it’ll be there at the markets: ostrich horses, eel hounds, camelephants – anything you want, you’ll find it. An eel hound would get you to Ba Sing Se in no more than a half a day.”

The men’s voices trailed off as they travelled down the hallway. She couldn’t believe her luck. This was perfect! She’d been wondering about where they would dock, how far away Ba Sing Se would be and how long it would take to get there, and now all the answers had been delivered to her on a silver platter.

All she had to do was discreetly get off the ship, make her way to these markets, lease an eel hound and then off to Ba Sing Se. All in the space of one day!

_‘Wait… I didn’t pack any coins.’_

She smacked her forehead, kneading the heel of her palm into her temple. How could she have not thought to bring any money?

Currency wasn’t really used in the Water Tribe; in their tight-knit community, goods and services were often traded, or simply seen as acts of kindness. Besides, gold and silver were hard to come by in the tundra. Her father in his years of being Chieftain, however, had brought together a small collection of foreign currency. He’d said they were decorative and a sign of unity, but Katara saw the quiet fear and resolve in his eyes whenever news of Ozai and his firebenders winning an advantage in the war reached the Tribe. He’d started carrying around a few of the gold coins with the Fire Nation insignia on them in his pocket at all times.

And now, she was about to go into the largest, busiest nation in the world without a dollar to her name. She groaned. Just her luck, indeed.

Unscrewing the top of her water skin, Katara drew out the smallest amount of liquid. Idly twirling her hands and fingers in front her, she watched as the water danced, flowed and swayed as she led it to. She drew her fingers down in a spiral and it followed swiftly like a hovering whirlpool, stopping just above her crossed legs and flattening so it was almost completely still, almost tranquil. She smiled as she split it into two and watched as the large drops circled one another. Focusing her chi carefully as they continued to spin around each other, she froze one while she heated the other until it bubbled slightly. Bringing them together, slowly but surely, she watched as one started to melt and the other began to cool until they finally connected and became one.

Tui and La, moon and ocean, yin and yang. She’d always loved the tales of the first waterbenders, and how completely opposite they were; yet, by working together, they became something beautiful, powerful and made one another stronger.

She was like La – yin: calming, accepting, intuitive and free. She was a skilled waterbender, confident in her abilities and herself. She was Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. If she couldn’t believe in herself and what she could handle, then who could?

Still idly drawing the water back and forth, she gazed out of the crack in the ship. White threads of cloud drifted across the sky, which bled amber into azure. The sun was a beautiful golden orb, easing itself down into the horizon, and Katara could just see the first sparkle of stars. She smiled softly and carefully directed the water back into its skin.

Folding her brother’s parka into the makeshift pillow she’d been using as the temperature had warmed, she sunk down into the fluffy familiarity. Knowing she’d have to be up before dawn the next day, the young waterbender continued looking out at the colourful sky, allowing her heartrate to slow and her eyelids to droop. Tomorrow would bring uncertainty, and she wasn’t sure how she would do it, but for that moment, she let her soul steady itself like the calming waves rolling around her in the belief that somehow, she could.

* * *

A beam of sunlight peeped through her eyelids, and Katara groaned as she rolled away. Why hadn’t she closed the curtain last night? The cry of a sea vulture flicked a switch in her head, and she bolted upright. The war. The ship. Ba Sing Se. Scrambling up, she ran to her window and peeked out, eyes widening as she took in the sight before her. The Earth Kingdom was incredible.

Land expanded for the foreseeable horizon, from left to right, there was a jagged line of greens, yellows, and browns beyond the water. Small figures in the distance were running along the creamy golden sea line, tossing objects to one another. Beautiful, majestic buildings led the way up a nearby mountain in startling colours of forest and bottle green. The harbour that the ship was headed towards was bustling with energy, even in the early hours of sun’s first light. Boats, yachts, kayaks, and ships were going in and out, and the sound of lively sea folk yelling around one another got louder and louder. Katara found her face breaking into a smile, nerves tingling with excitement.

Thumping sounds and the grunts of drowsy soldiers told her the crew was waking up, getting ready to finally dock. Suddenly, her stomach felt unsettled. How long did she have before they came to unload the storeroom? She _did_ look like a man, but how would they react to finding a stowaway on their ship? Would Master Pakku see right through her disguise?

Reality set in and Katara realised it was a now-or-never situation. She stuffed her bag as quickly as she could, making sure to include the leftover fruit and water bottle, which she froze so it wouldn’t get soiled or leak.

She got up, slinging the bag onto her shoulders and walked over to the crack in the ship. Grunting as she shoved her entire body weight against the flap, she prayed to Tui and La and whatever spirit looked over the Earth Kingdom that it would budge open just a _little_ bit more.

The sheet of metal finally yielded and Katara smirked. Time to leap into the unknown.

Taking one last look at her quaint little home for the past week, she jumped into the deep blue below. Just before she hit, she spun an arm around her figure and a small bubble of air followed her into the water. She was pleasantly surprised by how much warmer the temperature was than at the South Pole. In comparison to its icy, chilling-to-the-bone touch, the bay here was giving her a toasty warm hug, welcoming Katara into its arms.

Not hesitating another moment, the waterbender kicked off through the water, propelling herself towards land. As she swam, she passed a herd of startled-looking flying fishopotamuses, and she blew bubbly kisses in their direction, giggling as a calf tried to catch the bubbles in its mouth. She gave them a little wave and continued forward, pushing through, swerving around animals and boats alike.

After a while, her muscles started to ache and she relished in the knowledge they were finally getting some proper use. However, she could feel the dwindling oxygen in her little air pocket taking its toll on her lunges, which were starting to burn uncomfortably. She pushed upward, bursting to the surface with a deep breath as her lunges sighed in relief. After taking a breather, Katara looked around, surveying her surroundings.

 _‘That must be Qingzhou ahead’,_ she thought, looking toward a decent size cluster of pointed houses and buildings. Her eyes caught sight of the creamy shoreline just ahead. _‘I’ll head for the beach, dry off and then walk over to the town.’_

Taking a deep breath, she disappeared under the water once more and continued straight for land.

* * *

In just a few short minutes of walking through the stone streets of Qingzhou, Katara could already feel the immense difference in the atmosphere compared to her small, conservative village. The Earth Kingdom citizens were loud, assertive, all up in her face and smiling as they did so. Some street merchants had manifested in front of her, tempting her with different foods, trinkets, and weapons. One cabbage merchant had tried particularly hard to sell her his product.

She hadn’t been able to stop the blush when a few passing girls and even a boy or two had looked in her direction, giggling, winking, blowing kisses and murmuring ‘hey there, handsome’. It was flattering, but still made her feel slightly queasy. She’d dealt with catcalling and comments back in the Tribe – she was aware that she was quite attractive, if she’d inherited anything of her mother’s looks. She’d grown accustomed to it back home, but she hadn’t been counting on it continuing in the Earth Kingdom. Especially when she was crossdressing.

Nevertheless, she smiled back, albeit somewhat uncomfortably, and continued on her way. She pulled up to one particular store, the smell of some type of jerky luring her in. She didn’t know if it was just because she was wearing her brother’s clothes, but meat had never looked so good. The clerk behind the counter caught her eye and smirked.

“Jackalope jerky, best in the whole town. Pretty enticing, huh?” he said knowingly.

“Yeah”, Katara murmured, then cleared her throat, making she her voice was deeper when she said, “uh, smells amazing.”

The man grabbed two large strips, and threw them into a paper bag. “Two for three copper pieces, or make it double for five pieces. What’d you say, pal?”

Katara reached for the thick snack before drawing her hand back into her. “I… I don’t have any money. Sorry.”

The man considered her for a moment before saying, “You’re not from around here, are you? That’s Water Tribe getup”, he gestured to Sokka’s clothes.

“Yeah, I’m on my way to join the war. Got to go to a training camp near Ba Sing Se”, she replied.

He narrowed his eyes at the blue parka in her arms before his face lit up. “My guess is you have no way of getting there either right?”

She bowed her head and shook it slightly.

“Hey, nothing to be ashamed of! Pretty brave of you to come to a different nation alone, not knowing how things work around here. Bit stupid too, though”, he said with a hearty laugh. Katara felt her face heating up as she pulled into herself.

“Tell you what – I’ve got this absolute dud of a dragon moose out back. Used to pull the hunting carriage back in his prime, doesn’t do much else but steal that guy’s cabbages over there now. Can’t handle the carriage anymore, but I’d say he’s still got some stuff to give”, his eyes gleamed as he looked back at the parka. “My wife’s from the Northern Water Tribe. She left years ago, couldn’t deal with it anymore. No offense.”

“None taken”, Katara chuckled knowingly.

“She didn’t have time to take anything of hers before she ran away, though. I can tell how much she misses it.”

Katara raised an eyebrow, watching intently as the man continued. “Here’s my offer; you give me that fluffy coat of yours – you won’t be needing it here, _trust me_ – and I’ll let you take the old boy out back so you can get to Ba Sing Se.” A pause. “I’ll even throw in four pieces of jerky!”

Katara was stumped. On one hand, this was some kind of gift from the Spirits because she had literally just been presented with a way to Ba Sing Se without needing to pay money. Yet the price was still really high. Call her sentimental, but this was her _brother’s_ ; she hadn’t seen him in over a year and this was one of the only things of his and of her home that she had with her. Just holding it in her arms comforted in a way that she needed, being alone in this foreign land.

However, the weight of the conscription notice in her bag was ever present, and she remembered why she’d taken Sokka’s belongings in the first place. Resolved, she sighed and nodded, passing the blue parka over to the beaming clerk.

“Deal.”

* * *

“Now, I’ve got warn you, Banlu can be a bit temperamental with new people. New smells and all that… I’m sure you two will get along just fine, though.”

Katara had started questioning what exactly the Spirits thought they were doing. The beast in front of her was clearly getting on in its years and seemed as grumpy as any old man. The clerk, who had introduced himself as Lee, had promptly disappeared behind his shop after the two came to their agreement, and appeared shortly after with the freakishly large animal plodding behind him. She gulped. This thing had to be double her height!

Banlu looked at her and pinned his big ears back, lip curling slightly. Katara took a step backward.

“Really, he’s quite a gentle giant once you get to know him”, Lee continued, absent-mindedly stroking the dragon moose’s nose. “Just needs time to warm up to people.”

Katara didn’t have time, though. She had to be in Ba Sing Se as soon as possible, and regardless of how bitter her steed was going to be, this was so far the best and probably only option for her to get where she needed to go. There was no looking a gift ostrich horse in the mouth. Or dragon moose.

Forcing a smile, she turned to Lee and said, “He sounds great. Thank you so much for all of this, Lee. I can’t express how grateful I am.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t even stress about it, pal. _You’re_ the one who’s about to go and fight in a war. If I can help a soldier get to where he can make a difference, then that’s what I’m gonna do. Besides”, he looked fondly down at the parka in his arms, “you’ve just given my wife quite possibly the best gift ever. This’ll mean the world to her, having something from her home. So thank you.”

She smiled warmly, reaching out to shake his hand. “Happy to help in any way I can.”

Lee returned the smile before turning to the dragon moose. “So, know how to ride one of these?”

Katara winced, her sheepish look eliciting a laugh from the clerk. “No worries, it’s fairly easy to understand the basics. This”, he gestured to the headpiece on the animal, “is the bridle. It helps hold the bit in his mouth, which is connected to the reins”, he held up the long, thin leather strap around the neck, “which is what allows you to steer. Then, you got the saddle, which is where you plant your tush. Once you’re on, you wanna stick your feet in these things” he pointed to a metal half circle that fell down the side of the saddle, “called stirrups. They help with balance and… encouraging the old boy”, he said, thumping the neck of the annoyed dragon moose.

She blinked, mouth opening and closing like a koi. “Uh…”

Lee nodded understandingly. “It’s much easier to learn once you’re actually on. Do you want a leg-up?”

At Katara’s perplexed look, he clarified, “You stand on his left, bend and lift your left leg for me to hold, and on the count of three, you jump and I hoist.”

“Yeah”, Katara muttered, looking at the towering animal, “that’d be great, thanks.”

* * *

A few minutes and one perpetually embarrassed Katara later, she was on the back of Banlu, who was stomping furiously, shaking his large horned head at the idea that he’d have to actually do something for her. If she’d thought he was tall before, that was nothing compared to now, looking down at Lee, who was craning his neck up at her.

“How’s the weather up there?” he mock-shouted.

Katara chuckled. “Great, I can practically see Ba Sing Se from here.”

The clerk let out a laugh. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to the height. After a while, it’ll actually be comforting.”

She seriously doubted that, but she smiled anyway.

“Alright”, Lee said, coming up to the side of the enormous animal, “make sure you’ve got good, even contact on the reins. Don’t pull too hard on his mouth, just gentle squeezes and he’ll turn for you, use both if you need him to stop. Keep your heels down, shoulders back, and eyes up; that’ll help you stay balanced and going in the direction you want. Light taps with your heels and he’ll move forward. Also, talk to him – helps him stay calm. Think you got all that?”

 _‘What about helping_ me _stay calm?!’_ Katara, screamed internally, desperately trying to hide the discomfort on her face.

“Yeah, seems pretty straightforward. Thanks, Lee.”

“No problem at all, pal.” He then turned away slightly, pointed forward. “Ba Sing Se is directly west from here. Keep in mind the sun’s position and you’ll be right. It’s a pretty flat, easy ride once you’re past the coastline mountain range, shouldn’t take you more than a couple of days. Maybe a day and a half if Banlu is feeling particularly spritely.”

Katara nodded, taking a deep breath and gathering the reins up. She had a bag full of fruit and jerky, a bottle full of water, and a heart filled with pumping blood that was setting her veins on fire. Turning her gaze toward to jagged horizon, the sun now in full view as it shone down on the Earth Kingdom. Two days, just two days until she reached Ba Sing Se, and the real challenge began. What lay awaiting for her there? How many of the other recruits were Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom? How many were Water Tribe? How many of those were from the South Pole?

… could she really convince everyone around her that she was a man?

She started at the feel of a hand clapping her thigh, and she looked down to see Lee patting her reassuringly. “You best get going, make the most of the day while it’s here. Good luck.”

Katara smiled appreciatively at him, making a note that if she ever saw him again, she’d have to bestow him with all the gifts she could think of. With that, she clicked her tongue, pressed her heels into Banlu’s side and her journey began.

* * *

_“How dare you defy me. In front of my most trusted attendants. You’re an absolute disgrace.”_

_“Sir, I simply offered my opinion on a very serious matter. What you’re suggesting is... it’s too far. The other nations would never take us seriously. They’d either completely fear us or hate us. There would be no respect, no honour.”_

_“_ Us? _There is no ‘us’, these are_ my _men,_ my _vision,_ my _plans, and my future empire! And you think I care about their respect? I don’t need their respect; I need their submission to our superior power. Respect is what I need from my close colleagues and officers; fear and total control over is what I need from those peasants. And this is the most effective way to achieve that.”_

_“Father, this is genocide! This is wrong, can’t you see that?”_

_“I see it for what achieves, not what it presents itself as. Now either you bite your tongue… or I will give you another lesson in this ‘_ respect’ _that you’re so enamoured with...”_

He grunted, striking his fist forward as he went through the pattern he’d done time and time again. Maintaining routine helped him suppress those memories whenever they resurfaced, though not without shuddering first. Bending his knees, keeping his body centred and level, he whirled around and shot a flexed foot above head height before turning, leaning back as the other foot continued into a back kick.

He could feel the beads of sweat dripping from his messy roguish hair, falling into his eyes as he rapidly blinked away the stinging salt. He ran forward, jumping into the air, yelling as he executed a perfect flying sidekick. His form was _always_ perfect. It had to be.

He hadn’t realised he was being watched until he heard the clearing of a throat behind him. Pausing in his steps, he stood square and took in a deep breath, closing his eyes as he circled his arms around, bringing them down calmly into _chumbi_. Turning, he saw a familiar face at the entrance of his quarters, smiling at him.

“You’ve improved a lot since I last saw you training. You’d give your sister a solid run for her money now.”

He chuckled low, grabbing a nearby cloth to wipe the layer of moisture from his face. “I don’t know about that; you haven’t seen her in a long time – she’s gone from firebending prodigy to master at the ripe old age of seventeen.”

The other snorted, before flinging something in his direction. He caught it with ease, looking down at the rolled up parchment. It had the United Forces insignia on it. Flicking his gaze up, he looked quizzically at the person who’d handed it to him.

“Just open it, would you?” they teased good-naturedly.

Looking down at the ominous scroll, he carefully unravelled it, eyes travelling to the text written carefully inside. Studying each word, he felt his eyes pop open and his mouth go slack.

“Is… does he… I mean… wow”, he breathed, absorbing the letter with awe.

The other person walked over, resting a hand on your shoulder. “He thinks you’re ready. As do I. And I think, deep down, you know you are too, Zuko.”

He wanted to say that no, he didn’t think that at all, that he wasn’t anywhere near ready for this, and how could they trust him so easily and so soon after what had happened with his father. This was huge; a massive responsibility, and his Uncle had simply written him a note saying ‘yeah, you’re ready, you got this, okay good luck I’ve got an army to run and war to win bye’. He ran a hand through his raven hair, sighing as he shook his head slightly.

Looking up, a smile came onto his face, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t know what to say. This is such an honour I- I feel incredibly honoured.” He bowed forward, hands held in front of him. “Thank you, Lu Ten. You have no idea what this means to me. I promise I won’t let you or Uncle down.”

His cousin returned the respectful gesture, before laughing and bringing him into a bone-crushing hug. Zuko tensed at the close contact, stiffly patting his back. Lu Ten’s body was still shaking mirthfully. Pulling away, he reached across and ruffled the younger man’s hair, grinning as the recipient cringed. Zuko turned away briefly to place the precious parchment down, before turning back to his cousin.

“Awwwww, little Zuzu; all grown up and becoming a captain of his own battalion”, he teased, eyebrow raising in amusement.

Zuko growled, though there was a sparkle of humour in his eyes. “Call me Zuzu again and I’ll send you crying like a child to your father.”

Lu Ten grinned even more. “Oh, those are some big words for such a little boy. Care to put your money where your mouth is?”

Zuko smirked, shifting his feet and fists into stance. “I prefer action over simply bets.”

“Don’t pick fights you can’t win”, his cousin replied, mimicking his positioning. “You’re going down. Zuzu.”

The sparring session that ensued left more than a few singes in the tent flaps and Zuko’s neatly folded tatami in a mess and burned. Both men were now laying on their backs, breathless, sweaty and sore, yet beaming as the endorphins rushed around their bodies. Zuko flicked his gaze over to his spirited cousin, who was currently chuckling at some joke he hadn’t heard. He smiled softly.

Tomorrow, a new chapter would begin, and he was uncertain of what it would hold. Excitement, responsibility, definitely danger, yet the thrill of knowing he’d be doing some good. Hopefully. Yet right now, in this very moment, he closed his eyes and relished in the warmth of the setting sun, so strong he could feel it through the walls of the tent. He was nervous, eager to please and _desperate_ to make sure he didn’t let down his family, the most beloved people in his life: Iroh and Lu Ten. But he knew that if they could not just forgive him, but love him after everything that had happened, then anything was possible. They believed in him, so Zuko had to believe in himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the plot thickens... heheheheeh
> 
> Thank you so much for the comments, kudos, subscriptions and bookmarks, guys! It means the world to me :))  
> I'm going to make sure I reply to everyone's comments asap, cos it honestly warms my heart whenever I see a new review, and I appreciate every single one of them 
> 
> (im trying so so so hard not to rush and just have katara thirsting over zuko now omg you guys have no idea. this is taking so much bloody patience kjdbdfibeyfysgdyfifughusjzv kiLL ME)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, feel free to leave a kudos, comment, or subscribe xx


	5. First Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the love!! YHSUA has now hit 25 subscriptions, 50 kudos and over 500 hits xx
> 
> Enjoy this next chapter!

The sun was now directly over Katara, glaring down on her as she and Banlu plodded along the dry grassy plains of the Earth Kingdom countryside. They’d trotted for a short time after departing Qingzhou, yet the unnatural bouncing had nearly thrown Katara from the saddle despite the dragon moose’s meandering pace. It had quickly become too much to handle, and they’d slowed to a walk. Apart from passing the occasional rice patty, or small farmhouse, it seemed that no one really inhabited this section of the nation. Wiping the sweat off her brow for the third time in five minutes, Katara had a very clear idea of why that was.

After squinting to glare back up at the sun, she looked down at Banlu and despite the animal’s prickly demeanour and their rocky relationship, she felt a pang of sympathy. The poor thing was clearly not enjoying working his unused muscles in the unbearable heat. White foam lathered his neck where the reins rubbed occasionally and when Katara leaned around to the side, she could see his nostrils flaring with each breath. She patted his neck encouragingly.

“I know, old boy – it’s disgusting out here”, she empathised, licking her dry lips. “Let’s just keep going, nice and steady, and we’ll get to Ba Sing Se before you know it.”

The dragon moose turned his head slightly to look back at her, utter loathing in his slitted eyes. Katara sighed in defeat, shifting back into the centre of the saddle. So much for ‘gentle giant’. If Banlu had enough strength, Katara was certain he’d have bucked her off by now.

Despite the fact that her only companion was a sullen old dragon moose, she appreciated the companionship nonetheless. Knowing that she wasn’t alone as she trekked toward the impending training camp was a small reassurance. Her nerves had been tingling ever so slightly the second they’d left Qingzhou, and she kept reaching up to fiddle with her non-existent hair loopies. Back home, she’d always been so adamant about being independent and wanting to do her own thing, acting bitter whenever her father or grandmother had held her back to protect her. It had frustrated her to no end.

Now here she was, in a foreign land, surrounded by a strange environment and unknown challenges ahead. She now understood why they’d harped on about her constant safety. Granted, she was persistently stubborn in her view and still wished she’d been allowed more trust and freedom. Maybe then she’d be more adjusted and not screech every time some bug flew into her face.

Focusing her attention forward and toward the horizon before her, Katara’s thoughts wandered to what lay ahead. She grinned internally as she pictured herself arriving; quiet, cool confidence flowing off her in waves as she impressed the officer in charge with her waterbending abilities, the admiration of her fellow recruits as she proved herself in training, gaining their respect while she giggled to herself in secret. Positively buzzing on the fact that they had no idea she was a man. Her eyes widened and she pulled Banlu to a holt.

How in the _spirit forsaken name of Tui and La_ was she going to hide that she was a girl? One slip up, one high-pitched word out of line, and she’d be exposed.

Her body was torn between charging forward, excitement lighting her insides on fire at the promise of a challenge and adventure, and from doing a 180 and scurrying back in the direction she came. There was no way of the army to absolutely clarify that a man from her family had actually arrived at the camp, was there? Surely she could turn around, say to herself ‘you tried’ and that’d be that? No one could say she hadn’t tried, right?

The second the thought crossed her mind, she smacked the selfish notion away. She hadn’t come for her – she’d come for Gran-Gran, she’d come for her father, she’d come for the entire village. She’d come to fight for those who couldn’t. If she turned back now, she would be turning her back on everyone she cared about, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself for the rest of her days.

Groaning pitifully, sinking and slouching down into the saddle, Katara nudged Banlu forward once more. She sighed, eyes following the heat rising off the endless dirt path before her. She had at least another 36 hours or so; plenty of time to figure out a game plan… If she knew where to start.

She didn’t know how long they continued their mindless, dragging pace when Katara was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of Banlu’s laboured breathing. Straightening up and gathering her thoughts, she realised with a jolt that her encouraging taps had become more frequent and his head was almost dragging on the rocky ground. Guilt washed over her as she patted the old beast’s damp neck.

“Oh my gosh, Banlu, I- I’m so sorry”, she said. The dragon moose didn’t even flick his ears.

Scouting around for any trees or shade of any kind, Katara set her mouth. “I think we’re well past due for a break. It’s too hot to keep going in the sun like this.”

Clicking her tongue and turning her body toward a small cluster of gangly-looking trees, the pair veered off the path. Katara took her feet out of the stirrups, dismounting off a resentful yet relieved Banlu. After tying his reins loosely to a branch, allowing him room to stretch for the grass below, Katara leaned against the rough bark and flopped ungracefully onto her backside. Salt was stinging her eyes, and her short hair felt clammy and polluted. She sighed.

“Okay, let’s think about this”, she mumbled, resting her elbows on her knees as she massaged her temple. “I’m dressing up as a man to go into a war with men, spending every single waking moment with men, where they’ll be acting like men and I’ll be expected to act like a man too. If I act _too_ much like a man, someone will probably suspect I’m _not_ a man and I’ll be killed. On the other hand, I’m not man _enough,_ and they’ll do the exact same thing.”

She looked at Banlu, eyebrows raising. “Am I crazy? Am I _completely_ in over my head?”

The dragon moose was gazing lazily at her, stems of grass sticking out his mouth as he munched away.

Katara let out a pitiful groan, letting her head fall onto her knees. “How in the name of all Spirits am I going to pull this off…”

_“Katara, we men are simple, yet outstanding specimens. Guys at their core want three things in life… sex, success, and an endless supply of meat. Every man wants to be the manliest man around. Come_ on _, and you’re always telling me you’re the ‘smart one’…”_

The surprise of Sokka’s words in her mind startled the young woman. Since he’d left, her brother’s voice had often drifted into her unguarded thoughts at the most unusual times, offering his estranged, yet somewhat sound advice. His nonchalant way of explaining things often held great hidden wisdom; Katara questioned whether it was _actually_ things he would say, or just her own mind compensating for not having her big bro there to look out for her.

Either way, what ‘Head Sokka’ had just told her did make some sense, if she’d learned anything from watching the Tribesmen during village festivities. If Katara was going to do this, she was going to have to really get into the role of a man. Of her brother. She gagged at the thought.

Standing up, she brushed the thin layer of dust off her clothes and turned to face Banlu, hands held out. “Alright, um, let’s just… let’s test some things out. Let’s try this.”

Clearing her throat, furrowing her brows and puffing out her chest, she took a sauntering step toward the dragon moose and spoke with a deep voice. “Hello there, my fellow men. What a day to train for battle! We shall be so… _manly_ when we fight with our swords. Would you care to see _my_ sword? It’s very long, and big, and… manly.”

The dragon moose deadpanned her, eyes glazed over with drudgery.

“Okay yeah maybe not that”, Katara cringed, biting her nail.

Switching it up, she channelled her in ‘Brokka’. “Heeeey dudes, who’s ready to kick some Fire Lord butt? Turn Ozai into the… guy who… was… defeated, Lord?”

Banlu let out a snort, blowing dust up into Katara’s face and inducing a coughing fit. Eyes watering as she overcame the sudden discomfort, she death-glared the animal, who simply rolled his gaze back toward the grass below. Stomping away, Katara let out a mangled sound of frustration.

“What was I _thinking_?! I’m in a completely foreign country, have limited food supply, have a have-cracked disguise which will get me _killed_ if it fails, am trying to find my way to a place I’ve never been to by following a strange sky, and my only company is a disgruntled, old dragon moose!”

As she stalked a small distance away from the shade to an endless expanse of dry grass and sandy dirt, her body burned to release the pressure building in her chest. Reaching down for the waterskin, she shakily unscrewed the lid and swiftly drew the liquid out, moving into a light yet tensed stance.

She’d bent water many ways, for many reasons, over the years. Firstly, it had been out of wonder and fascination, and would simply glide in the air, or bob up and down in place. Then, it had been in joy and ecstasy as she spun, whirled, and jumped in excitable motions, the water chasing her movements. She’d done it in a calming, hypnotic manner, where it danced and swayed in intricate patterns. Occasionally, it would be in anger, and would dart and flick out like a pythonaconda, or slam heavily against random slabs of ice.

Katara had never bent like how she was bending now. Body moving on its own accord, muscles remembering the self-defence moves her father had taught her, she felt her leg kick out in front her and watched as the water rushed with it. Her movements flowed likes waves from one movement to the next as her arms twisted and struck in sharp points, before continuing the steady rhythm. She stumbled occasionally, and almost slipped onto her side, but she kept pushing. Right now, she was bending like a caged polar bear dog; maintaining control, but always knowing there was a great and fatal power within.

She spun quick, knees bent as she planted an extended leg to the side, arm sleeve snapping as she executed a knife hand strike. She paused for but a second before continuing through the forms.

Katara lost track of how long she’d been going for when her lungs started to sting and her muscles ache. She stopped, leaning forward onto her knees as she tried to steady her laboured breathing. That had felt _good._ She’d been spontaneous in the pattern of forms and had very much been going with the flow of her own body’s desires, but she’d felt strong. Powerful. Like she could not only hold her own, but _win_ in a fight.

The fresh flow of endorphins eased a content smirk on her face. A picture of what she would do if she ever saw that uptight Master Pakku again played in her mind as she walked back toward the shade of the trees. However, as she neared, the rustle of leaves above Banlu’s head slowed her pace.

“What is up there…” she mumbled, turning her head to look up into the thicket of branches above the pair. Her own blue eyes widened as she met a pair of large, inquisitive sage ones. The mysterious creature paused to look at her for a moment before moving nimbly, weaving its way down the entanglement of leaves and wood until it was in plain view directly above her. It was an odd-looking creature indeed.

Its owlish eyes belonged to a round, dark face with giant, creamy bat-like ears sticking out from it. The ears took up half its body size alone. The rest of its patched light-coloured body was petite and lithe, slim arms and legs leading to webbed appendages. A long, thin tail the same colour as its face extended behind, curling around the branch for support. It blinked at her, head tilting just slightly. It was _too damn cute._

“Aw, hey there, little guy! Oh, aren’t you just the sweetest?” she cooed, reaching a careful hand toward the small animal.

Its ears flicked and eyes lit up. “That’s very nice of you. Thank you!”

Katara screeched, stumbling back as she stared up at the creature that had just _spoken to her._ Banlu shifted behind her as she slammed back into him, the old dragon moose letting out a grumble. Words failed to formulate as she pointed her shaking hand at the little thing staring incredulously back at her.

“You- you just _talked_. You just talked, right? That just happened.”

It scratched a hand frantically at an itch behind its ear. “Uh… I think so? My mouth is moving and words seem to be coming out.”

Katara placed a hand to her pounding heart, glancing away as she attempted to rationalise. “I’m losing it… I’m a few plums short of a fruit pie… I’m dehydrated and my mind is compensating for being out here all alone. No offense, Banlu.”

Said animal snorted in response.

The other animal presented made a chittering noise, which almost resembled a chuckle. “No, no you’re not crazy, Katara, I can promise you that.”

“Yep”, Katara muttered, arms going limp at her side. “It knows my name, it’s a figment of my delirious imagination.”

“Hey, look, I know you’re having trouble processing this, but can you please not call me an ‘it’? It’s kinda hurtful.”

Katara simply stared at the strange creature, watching for a still moment before it let out a small sigh, spread out its arms, _which apparently were kind of wings_ , and glided to the ground near her feet. It (he, she, they?) looked up at her, a soft expression plastered on its small face. “Please, take a seat. I’ll explain everything.”

When Katara recalled the moment, she wasn’t entirely sure if she made the conscious decision to crouch down beside the peculiar creature, yet somehow, that’s where she ended up. She turned a cautious gaze in its direction.

“Allow me to explain”, it said, placing a webbed hand to its fluffy chest. “My name is Aang, and I’ve been sent from the Spirit World to help you fight in the war. I _was_ a human boy, when I was alive, but in order to return to the human world, I had to take the form of an animal, as they’re linked closer to the Spirits than people are, and they’re easier to disguise yourself as. Plus, they’re cool”, the creature, Aang, said with a burst of enthusiasm.

“I chose to be a winged lemur because they’re a symbol of my people, and also small which means it’s a _lot_ better when you’re trying to travel”, he grinned. “Basically, I’m here to make sure you have someone to talk to, someone to help you out or give advice when you need it. A friend.”

While Aang had been talking, Katara had been steadily drinking from one of her water bottles, reaffirming what the winged lemur-boy was saying. It was a lot to take in, but his words weren’t being disregarded. Gran-Gran had told her stranger stories about spirits’ trips to the human world. It wasn’t the wildest tale to believe.

Placing the bottle down, she studied the little Spirit for a moment before speaking. “Okay so, you’re a Spirit who’s basically been sent to guide me through joining the army? And you said you _were_ alive? Wait, and ‘human _boy_ ’? What happened?”

Aang looked off to the side. “Yeah, that’s pretty much it. And um… yeah… I was. Not that long ago, actually…”, he cast his head. “I was an Air Nomad living in the Southern Air Temple when Ozai… Ozai attacked. I had just turned thirteen.”

Katara stilled, a hand brought up to cover her mouth. “I-I’m so sorry. That’s horrible. I can’t even begin to imagine how devastating that was.”

“Yeah… we fought back, but we were completely outnumbered.” He smiled sadly up at her. “The Northern and Eastern temples are still okay though, so there’s hope. That’s why it’s so important I help you; so we can do everything we can to make sure more violence is stopped before it can occur.”

The waterbender blinked. Despite everything he had been through, this boy somehow remained optimistic, a great sense of willpower driving him to ensure the safety of those still living when he could easily enjoy eternal peace in the Spirit World. He had chosen to accompany her on her impossible mission, one she had been certain she’d face alone. Her heart swelled.

Then a thought occurred. “Um… if you don’t mind me asking… why me? I mean, aside from the fact that I’m a _girl_ and I’m breaking so many laws to go to war, surely there are many more skillful, powerful, important soldiers who would benefit from a Spirit’s guidance more than me… Not to say I’m not grateful for this!” she rushed out.

He smiled, then sprung up onto her propped knee. “Maybe the Spirits see something in you that you don’t see in yourself.”

Katara’s heart did a small leap, and she returned the earnest smile. Allowing Aang to move off of her, she stood and bowed graciously to the winged lemur. Anyone passing would’ve scoffed at the strange sight, but Katara didn’t care at all. She already held a great deal of respect for this young Spirit, and she'd be damned if she didn’t make him aware of that. “Thank you so much, Aang. It is an honour, pleasure, and privilege to be guided by a Spirit. I will do everything I can to please those of the Spirit World.”

The lemur-boy had a twinkle in his large eyes as he bowed back. “The pleasure is all mine, Katara. In return, I’ll do everything in my power I can to ensure your happiness and wellbeing on this journey.”

The two shared a soft look before Katara bent down to pick up her half-full water bottle. Stuffing into the bag before placing it on her shoulders, she moved to untie Banlu from the tree, glancing back to Aang. “We should probably keep moving. Judging by the sun’s position now, it’s mid-afternoon, and we need to reach Ba Sing Se as soon as we can.”

Aang nodded, then flew up toward a branch near Banlu’s head. The dragon moose’s eyes widened comically for a split second at the winged lemur, almost resembling Aang’s own owlish eyes. Katara stifled a giggle. The young Spirit-boy looked over to Katara, a small smile revealing his tiny teeth. “Who’s this?”

“This is Banlu”, Katara snorted, rolling her eyes as the dragon moose flashed her a look. “I wouldn’t bother; he’s a mean and bitter old thing.”

The lemur tilted his head before turning back to the giant dragon moose, placing a small hand on his nose. “Really? Seems like a cool guy to me.”

To Katara’s utter shock, the dragon moose had sniffed the small webbed hand for a moment before blowing softly on it, nuzzling into Aang’s miniature palm. The lemur made another chittering noise. Turning back to Katara, a slightly smug smile played on his face. “Doesn’t look like he’s mean and bitter.”

Katara pursed her lips, irritation prickling at her skin. “Yeah… well… whatever”, she finished lamely as she flung the reins over Banlu’s neck and placed a foot in the stirrup. Grabbing the pommel of the saddle, she bounced one, two, three times before pushing off as hard as she could. However, getting on unassisted, being as short as she was, was proving to be incredibly difficult, as she soon was on attempt number eight when she suddenly felt an unnatural gust of wind hoist her up with startled yelp. Albeit slightly frazzled, she now sat atop the temperamental dragon moose.

Blinking rapidly, she watched as Aang glided over to sit himself on Banlu’s withers, smiling cheekily at her. “I forgot to mention I can still airbend, didn’t I?”

Katara mock-pouted at him, before the two shared a small chuckle. Katara gently flicked his gigantic ears and he snickered in response. They’d only just met, but she already felt a real sense of kinship to her young, lively Spirit guide.

“Say, the new Avatar was supposed to be an airbender. Were they at one of the attacked temples? Do you know if they survived the genocide?” Katara thought out loud, glancing down to the little lemur.

“I… I’m not sure. Maybe”, he tensed, glancing away, wringing his tiny little hands.

Katara picked up on the hesitation in his voice, but didn’t pry any further. If there were things he didn’t want to tell her, she wasn’t one to force them out of him. She smiled, holding the tip of one of his ears in between her finger and thumb, rubbing soothingly as the lemur softened.

Gathering up the reins, she pressed her heels into the dragon moose and directed him back toward the path, Aang making that little gleeful chitter as he gripped the crest of Banlu’s neck. They made quite the odd trio: the androgynous Water Tribe girl, the grumpy, aging dragon moose, and the spirited little lemur-boy, all three making the quirkiest, little unit any being could ever lay eyes on. Katara cast her eyes down to the two animals, and smiled. Maybe it wasn’t the _best_ team she could ask for, but somehow, she was thankful that they were what she had.

* * *

“ _Two lovers… forbidden from one another… A war divides their people… and a mountain divides them apart_...”

“What’s that you’re singing, Aang?” Katara asked, glancing down at the lemur-boy.

He jumped slightly, turning around to face the waterbender, curling in on himself slightly in an abashed manner. “Oh, just a little song we liked at the Air Temple. A few other Av- uh, Spirits, knew it too.”

Katara smiled fondly before flicking her direction back to the path ahead, watching as the sun peaked its delicate rays over the undulated horizon. The second day of their trek was dawning upon them. In just over 24 hours, they would arrive at Ba Sing Se.

Following Aang joining Katara and Banlu’s ragtag little team the day before, the two benders had spent the rest of their daylight hours making idle chatter, comparing their different societies and styles of bending. Turned out Aang had been quite a talented and experienced bender despite his limited years, having earned the title of ‘Master’ at the ripe old age of twelve. Katara was ashamed that she couldn’t stop the tinge of jealousy at that revelation. She quickly suppressed it when he excitably told her about the day he’d received his arrow tattoos that had once proudly shaped his arms and bald head. A chuckle had escaped her lips when he bragged about his daily shaving routine.

Throughout the day, Katara watched as the terrain morphed from the parched farmlands to a completely barren, hard, almost dessert-like environment. The ground became less even as Banlu had taken his time placing his feet in the remains of rocky landslides, a result of the crumbling ridges they’d pass on occasion. When night eventually fell, they’d found a small cave and set up camp for the night. Despite the unbearable heat of the day, the temperature around them dropped as the sun tucked itself away, leaving Katara somewhat resentful she was only in a short-sleeve tunic and not her cosy parka. Between her and Aang, they’d managed to find a small collection of brittle twigs and some rocks, along with a few dry leaves. Using the blade of her sword and a flint stone Aang found, Katara had persisted with repetitively striking the two together, intently watching for sparks to fly into the makeshift campfire.

Katara had grinned when the fire was finally lit, and proceeded to sit down in front, soaking in its warmth. Something had flashed in Aang’s wide eyes, before he too crouched beside her, if not as close as she was. Banlu had visibly relaxed once the weight of his gear had been removed, and was now peacefully going between nudging Katara for apples and standing at the entrance to the cave, back facing the young benders. Katara kept glancing toward the old dragon moose, watching tentatively as the steed’s ears flicked back and forth, head rotating slowly as his fierce amber eyes stared out at the visible horizon. She’d smiled, breathing a sigh as she’d turned back to Aang.

They awoke from a slightly uncomfortable, yet peaceful sleep, had a quiet breakfast with what limited food they had, and continued on their way just as fire started dancing into the dawn sky.

Katara would have _killed_ for just another half hour sleep, and she groaned as a beam of sunlight shot into her bleary eyes. “I. Need. Sugar.”

She felt a tiny hand patting her wrist sympathetically, and looked down to see Aang smiling bright. “Cheer up, Katara! Think about it this way: maybe we started so early this morning that we’ll get to Ba Sing Se by tonight!”

Her eye twitched as she deadpanned the lemur-boy, who was now grinning sheepishly up at her. It was a nice thought, but she wasn’t giving herself false hope. Not in a million years. Sleep was too precious to waste false hope on.

“Sooooo”, Aang drawled out, “what’s the plan when we _do_ get there?”

“I- um… well… see, I-I thought… uh”, Katara stuttered out.

Aang was raising an invisible eyebrow at her. “There… _is_ a plan, right? You’ve thought of something?”

“I- _psssh,_ I-of course I have a plan! It’s a very good plan!” she said defensively. “I just… haven’t exactly had time to think about all the logistics of said plan.”

“Well, why don’t we talk about what you’ve got so far?”

Katara winced. She really _had_ been thinking about what she was going to do once she reached the training camp; it had consumed almost every thought. She’d seriously struggled to come up with any solid structure of the words she would say and how she’d act, though. Her brother had always been the ideas guy. Whenever the two of them got up to mischief in their younger years, it was always Sokka who would plant the seed for the diabolical schemes, before Katara initiated the execution of them.

Now suddenly, she was responsible for the plotting and structural ideas of what she was going to do… and she was completely stumped.

“Uh… well, basically I- whoa _eeeeee_ asy there, Banlu!” she exclaimed as the body below her shifted unstably, holding her core as she urged the dragon moose steadily up the slope.

She took a deep breath and continued. “I kind of just thought I’d, you know, walk in, find the officer in charge and show him my father’s conscription notice and, sign up, I guess? Start training with the other recruits. I… don’t really know what else there is to it. It’s simple task, but so much can go wrong…”

Aang looked thoughtful for a moment, before flicking her a small smile. “Yeah, I guess that’s fair enough.” A beat. “You should probably choose a different name. ‘Katara’ _is_ really pretty- uh, pretty girly, so they’ll probably get suspicious.”

He had a point. Going into war with a name like Katara, and the other recruits would more than likely tease her… or worse. She couldn’t take any unnecessary risks regarding her identity, including her name. And on the chances anyone knew her father’s surname… she shuddered. No. Choosing an alias was of the utmost importance.

Glancing down at Aang, she quirked an eyebrow. “Well, any ideas of who I should become?”

He thought for a moment. “Kuzon?”

“Too Fire Nation.”

“Bumi?”

“Isn’t that the Earth King?”

“Momo?”

“What?”

They collectively sighed, Banlu included as he reached the peak of the small hill. Katara gave a small squeeze on the reins and the dragon moose came to a halt, letting him catch his laboured breathing. This would be something they’d have to really think about, but they had an entire 24 hours and nothing to do but think and talk. They had time.

Katara ran a gentle hand down Banlu’s neck, and she watched as the muscles released some of their tension, his head bowing as a result. She could tell this was more work than the old boy had probably done in the last five years, and the continuous pace was weighing on him severely. She made a silent promise to find him all the apples she could once they reached camp, and to give him the opportunity to sleep all day.

Waiting a few more moments for Banlu to settle his heartrate, Katara urged him forward once more, and the trio started off again. They still had a whole day of travelling to get through.

* * *

From the moment dawn’s first light shone onto the earth, bringing life and energy, Zuko’s eyes flickered open. Groaning just slightly, he shifted on his futon, turning onto his side so he could see the beautiful amber of the golden morning sun. Blinking blearily, he smiled in quiet contentment.

Since leaving his father, he’d begun to remember the true beauty of life and his element, with no small thanks to his cousin and Uncle. Bending had become less of a chaotic outburst and more of a peaceful, rhythmic routine, an expression of his own beating heart and desires, a reflection on himself. He still struggled greatly with his own temper, the fuse still irritatingly short and easy to light. For so long, that anger and frustration had been the fuel for his firebending, and relinquishing it wasn’t going to be achieved overnight. However, he knew that his new role as a captain in his Uncle’s army would require his total focus and diligence in controlling it, if he was to gain the respect and loyalty of his soldiers.

_Captain._ Of his own battalion. He ran a hand back through his hair. It was still a crazy notion to wrap his head around. His troop was going to be the standby for Lu Ten’s men on the frontlines, ready to come to their aid at a moment’s notice. A sense of determination lit in his chest. Zuko would _not_ dishonour his cousin, his nation and the world. He would do everything within his power to make sure his troops were at peak condition, the greatest they could be. He would _not_ let everyone who was counting on him down.

He sat up and stretched, cringing as his neck and back cracked with the movement. Reaching for his tunic, trousers, cloak and armour, he shrugged off his nightrobe and dressed himself for the day. Walking over to his small, antique mirror, he picked up his brush and a scarlet ribbon. He turned to face his reflection, and straightened as his took in his features. Gold eyes starring fiercely back, drilling holes into his own soul, burnt hickory hair that almost rested on his shoulders, alabaster skin that contradicted the amount of time he spent out in the heat – all signalling to his heritage and royal upbringing. He subconsciously flicked his gaze to the left, and his brows furrowed. Then, there was that scar.

His eyes roved over the mangled, taut flesh. He’d been a different person before that scar had formed. It felt like a lifetime ago; he could barely remember what he looked like without it. Sometimes when he caught himself in a haze, or when dreams graced his sleep instead of nightmares, he caught a glimpse of a life without it. A life where his mother was still with him. A life where his sister hadn’t been corrupted. A life where Ozai had been his father. But for better or for worse, that wasn’t _his_ life, and it never would be. He had to make the most of the one he had, even if it wasn’t the one he wanted. He started pulling back the curtain on his face, tying it into a topknot.

He was already listening out when a plummy voice called from the front of his tent. “Zuko, are you awake?”

Noting the lack of proper title, the young firebender walked toward the entrance, pulling open the flap. “Yes, I am, as you can clearly see, _Master_ Pakku.”

The old Water Tribesman had been at the camp not even a full day and Zuko was already going into breathing exercises to control his nerves around the entitled old coot. He knew how important it was to maintain alliances in his uncle’s United Forces, but he honestly would have rather worked with a badger mole than the pretentious waterbending master. Nevertheless, he strived to maintain a neutral expression as Pakku gazed at him wryly.

“So, it’s your first day as Captain. How exciting”, he said, sarcasm dripping on every word.

“Quite.”

“The recruits are already stirring. I thought you’d have been up before dawn, wanting to be as prepared as possible.”

“I rise _with_ the sun”, he pointed out, lip twitching. “And I feel plenty comfortable and confident in my preparations. I’ve spent the last week creating a complex training regime for the recruits, making sure we have enough food and medical supplies; anything that comes, I’m ready for it. I’ve accounted for everything.”

Wrinkled, blue eyes twinkled at him. “Accounted for… _everything_ you say? You should take a look towards the hill.”

He raised an eyebrow when suddenly a loud scream tore through the campsite. Pushing past a smirking Pakku, he ran into the clearing, glancing around to see men clamouring out of their tents, coming to see what the raucous was about. Turning his attention down to where a few men were scrambling around, his eyes widened at the chaotic scene that was unfolding. A few tents were broken and trampled, a couple of recruits had fallen over, and were maybe even injured. A few frantic lieutenants were trying to diffuse the situation, which was apparently started by one man. Some bystanders were laughing; others were flicking their attention to Zuko anxiously. The young captain could feel Pakku’s amused smirk. He was utterly _seething_. This was _not_ how today was supposed to start.

Storming over to the cause of conflict, Zuko waited for no one to move out of his way, his fiery glare parting the gathering sea of men. Reaching the point, he almost would’ve laughed at the strangeness of it all, had he not been so furious. Two lieutenants were attempting to placate and control an agitated dragon moose, which had some sort of little flying creature, looking quite abashed, seated in its saddle. And at his feet, hands covering their head as they stayed low and curled in on themselves, was a boy clad in blue.

All noise had died down as Zuko rested hands on his hips, lips pursed as he stared daggers down at the boy, who was now starting to unfurl from himself. Large blue eyes widened at him and mouth formed a small ‘o’.

Zuko bristled as the boy sat up, his dark-skinned cheeks flushing as he mumbled, “Um, hey… I’m here to sign up?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO SORRY IM LATE  
> I ended up working 40 hours this week and didn't have time for NUTHIN. Fanfic and my instagram editing acc were put on a small hiatus.
> 
>  
> 
> SECRET TUNNELLLLLL, SECRET TUNNELLLLLL, SECRET SECRET SECRET SECRET TUNNELLLLL  
> this chapter feels kinda rushed and i dont really like it that much, so im sorry if it sucks :( i struggled hard with this one
> 
> BUT YAY the kids have finally met heheh. get ready for awkward katara, steamy zuko and aang being like 'sexual tension, whats that'
> 
> Thanks again for all the kudos, comments, subscriptions etc. stuff like that really motivates me to keep going with this story even when i hit a wall, so keep it coming with the love! <3


	6. Worst Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hihihihihi  
> omigosh I am SO sorry it's been so long since I updated! I'm back at school now and grade 12 is reaaaaally being a bitch this term, so updates may be far and few between for the time being.  
> also this chapter is a wee bit on the short side. ma bad. i was rushing (while trying to make sure the writing was still alright) to get this out while ~Zutara Week~ was still on
> 
> That being said, enjoy the awkwardness that stems on from Klutzy Katara in the last chapter :3
> 
> EDIT: MAJOR ERROR THAT I FIXED IN THIS CHAPTER. Aang says he is a spirit, not an Avatar (yikes)

In Katara’s honest defense, Banlu hadn’t done anything on their entire 48-hour-plus journey that alluded to the fact that he still had a powerful engine beneath his ancient exterior. So when a flock of buzzard wasps had suddenly darted out from a nearby rock mound, the young waterbender had been completely unprepared for the dragon moose’s flight reaction, pig-rooting before he set off at a gallop, hooves barely skimming the ground as he rocketed forward. Despite her best amateur efforts of pulling on the rains, digging her heels down and continuously calling out ‘woah there!’, the steed had continued his mindless charge.

Adrenaline was coursing through her veins, and her vision became blurred as her skin felt electrified. She vaguely registered Aang clinging onto her sleeve for dear life as he billowed like a leaf in the wind.

The next five minutes were a dizzy frenzy as the trio charged down a dry grassy hill, crashing into a series of tents that emitted muffled cries of protest. Somewhere amidst the chaos, Banlu had come to a jeering halt, lurching Katara forward off his back and smack onto the ground. Air was pushed from her lungs and her beating heart panicked even more with her inability to breathe. For a moment, she curled in on herself and closed her eyes, focusing on blocking out the shouts of strangers and bellowing of Banlu. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to regulate her painful breathing.

Suddenly, silence fell around her, save for the crunch of dry leaves getting closer and closer. Peeking out from her bowed position, Katara took in the pointed red boots, the gold and crimson tunic that covered a lean physique, the jet-black hair that was pulled back into a graceful topknot, and the fierce, amber eyes that were currently piercing daggers into her soul. Marred skin surrounded his left one, contorting as his expression hardened.

In that moment, a million things were racing through her head, but the only one she could properly focus on was _'oh no. He's hot._ '

A throat cleared, and Katara started. Realising that now would probably be an appropriate time to say something, she swallowed her thoughts and retrieved her voice. “Um… I’m here to sign up?”

The man’s glare intensified as if her mere voice was enough to grind his nerves. His eyes raked over her, and she suddenly felt like an animal being examined before it had its throat slit and meat chopped up. She gulped.

The man spoke with a gruff tone. “Then, on your feet, soldier.”

Katara scrambled to get up, excessively dusting her brother’s clothes, eyes quickly scanning around her and she winced.

The campsite looked like the Fire Nation had attacked. There were skid marks everywhere from Banlu’s frantic dashing and efforts to evade capture. Tents had been uprooted and many now looked like random pieces of ripped-up cloth. As for the men, Katara felt a pang of guilt as she surveyed several who were limping, a few were cradling their own arms and one was giving her the dirtiest look out of a swollen eye.

_‘We… I did this? Oh, spirits…’_

A humourless snort reeled her attention back to in front of her, and she straightened to alert before realising who the sound came from.

_‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me...’_

Out of all people to be at the training camp, Katara just _had_ to be stuck with the most uptight, full-of-himself grouch of a waterbending master: Pakku. She quickly swallowed the bile rising in her throat as he turned his long, crooked nose up at her.

“You better have a very reasonable explanation for causing this much destruction to my camp”, Amber Eyes addressed her again.

Panic. _‘Alibi alibi alibi alibi alibi.’_

Clearing her voice and dropping it an octave, she embraced her inner Sokka. “Sorry about that; I wanted to make a bit of a grand entrance. Obviously, it didn’t go quite as planned”, she quirked an eyebrow. “But when you’re charging through the wind like that, the rest of the world just fades away, you know? Blood’s pumping and you’re ‘the man’ and you’re just unstoppable and-“

“What’s your name?”

PANIC. _‘Alias alias alias alias alias.’_

“Uh… I, um..” Katara murmured.

Pakku pointed a knobbly finger at her. “Your commanding officer just asked you a question.”

Oh spirits. Over their entire trip, Aang and her had brought up the subject of a false name but never actually focused on it. They subconsciously decided they’d choose when they were approaching the camp. Yet, due to Banlu’s skittish episode, the opportunity had passed and Katara was now regretting it as she fumbled for ideas.

“Well, you see... I, uh… it’s…”

“I’m waiting”, Amber Eyes said with a snarl.

She felt something skim over her head, and the breath of a word, ‘Kuruk’. Looking up, she watched as Aang glided over to the top of a nearby tent, turning as he landed to meet her eyes with a look. She did the slightest hint of a nod in response.

“It’s Kuruk… that is, my name is Kuruk.”

The commanding officer studied her a moment longer before nodding to her. “Water Tribe, I assume.”

“Y-yes.”

A pause. “Let me see your conscription notice.”

“Oh… yeah sure.”

Fumbling around in her bag, she handed the scroll to the man before her. She watched closely as he unfurled it, eyes skimming over the words and widening after a moment.

“’Tappaku’… wait, isn’t that Chief Hakoda’s family name?” He turned to face Pakku. “I thought you said the Southern Chief only had one son, and he’d already enlisted in the war.”

“Yes…”, Pakku said, swivelling his narrowed gaze around to Katara. “I _did_ say that.”

“Oh.” ‘ _Quick Katara, think.’_ “ _Oh!_ Yeah, that’s my older brother, Sokka. He’s gonna be Chief one day, so he’s always out doing… stuff. I stay more behind the scenes. Dad doesn’t really talk about me much.”

Pakku and the younger man exchanged a sceptical look before the latter rolled up the scroll and stuck it loosely into his belt. Katara swallowed her fear and stood taller as he approached her, chin tilted up as his eyes narrowed to slits.

“Well gentlemen, today was supposed to be a physical assessment and introduction to training… but thanks to Kuruk here, you’ll be using these daylight hours to return the campsite to the state it was in prior to his arrival. Is that understood?”

There was the slap of many pieces of clothing, and Katara quickly moved to mirror the uniform salute that the other men were doing. “Sir, yes sir!”

“Very well”, he said, eyes snapping back to Katara. “Dismissed.”

He turned away and Katara released a shaky breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. So this definitely wasn’t the best start to her life as a soldier. She glanced up at Aang, who was smiling sheepishly at her. She returned a tired one, her shoulders shrugging slightly. At least her little spirit friend had her back.

Suddenly, something rock-hard connected with her shoulder blade, and she fell forward with a cough. Recovering quickly, she swerved to meet her attacker, fists raised in defence. Her eyes widened as she took in the massive, burly man, the small, childlike figure beside him, the slender, stoic man wearing a tatted dǒuli, and an attractive, tan guy with a wheat straw sticking out of his smirk, massaging his knuckles. She furrowed her brows and tensed her muscles.

The smirking man fiddled with the wheat between his teeth, making a show of assessing Katara as he stepped forward. “So, this is the guy we gotta thank for messing up our tents.” He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Heh, doesn’t look like much.”

“Yeah”, the little one piped up, punching a fist into his palm. “We could take him. No problem.”

“T-take me?” Katara stuttered, then felt her face heat up. “Hey, listen here. I’m sorry about all the chaos, but it was an accident. I’m going to help clean up, so how about instead of getting all defensive, you get on with repairs so we can start training. No one is taking me anywhere, you got that?”

The tanned guy started toward her, yet a pale hand on his shoulder held him back. “Jet, stand down. There’s no point getting us all into more trouble with the Captain. Just walk away.”

Jet turned his head to look back at the man with the dǒuli, grinding his teeth as he flicked his eyes between him and Katara. With a sigh, he shrugged his shoulder out of the other man’s grip. “Yeah, whatever, Longshot.” He flashed a menacing grin at Katara, eyes gleaming. “I’ve got my eye on you, though, Water Boy.”

With that, the small gang turned and made their way back to their entanglement of tents. Katara huffed, crossing her arms as she walked over to the post that Banlu had been restrained to, his tack unloaded and piled beside him. The dragon moose was pawing at the ground, nostrils flaring as he swivelled his head from side to side. Upon seeing Katara, he let out a breath and watched her approach him. She reached out an exposed hand, smiling softly as he tentatively brushed his velvety muzzle against her palm. Amongst the chaos of the day, Banlu relinquishing part of his hard exterior was a small victory, one that Katara was exceptionally grateful for.

“Calmed down a bit now, have you?” she soothed, giggling softly as the small prickly hairs tickled her hand. A sudden weight came onto her shoulder, and she flicked her eyesight to see Aang perched there. He was giving her a rather bemused look.

“That could’ve gone better.”

Katara scoffed. “I’ll say. I’ve been here a total of twenty minutes, and have already ticked off the commanding officer and made a nemesis who comes with his own entourage.”

“Give yourself a break, it’s just day one! First impressions aren’t often the best. You’ll have plenty more chances to make friends and impress the Captain.” The waterbender’s lips quirked up at the young boy’s youthful ideas. A tiny webbed hand rested on her cheek, and Aang spoke with a soft tone to his energetic voice. “Don’t worry, Katara, it’ll work out.”

She looked into his round eyes, hope sparkling in their sage depths. What she wouldn’t give to regain some of that childlike wonder that she’d lost all those years ago. How in the name of the Spirits had Aang managed to retain it, given the extremity of what he’d been through in his short amount of time on Earth? While Katara had witnessed and been affected by death and destruction, it was nothing in comparison to how Aang had experienced it firsthand. He’d watched his entire home and people be slaughtered around him like snow rats, before being dealt the final blow himself. Anyone would expect him to be timid, cynical, or most certainly vengeful, yet he remained optimistic and confident, and his main goal seemed to simply be world peace.

She was glad she’d been startled by the strange, little lemur-boy.

She reached a hand up and scratched behind his ear, chuckling as he leaned into her touch eagerly with closed eyes. “Thanks, Aang. You’re such a sweet, little guy.”

He beamed. “Happy to help, Katara.” He looked over to the big mess of tents to where Jet was currently glaring at her. “Uh… you might wanna help yourself now though, and try to get on that guy’s good side.”

“True. You stay here with Banlu; I’ll see if I can salvage any of my remaining dignity”, she sighed, bringing her hand down to let him hop off her shoulder and glide over to Banlu’s now bare back. He gave her two thumbs up, broad smile stretching across his face. Katara attempted to return the gesture, then took in a deep breath, and headed toward the group of tired, sour-looking men.

When she was still several feet away, the guy with the dǒuli – Longshot, if she recalled correctly – looked up at her under the rim of his hat, grey eyes betraying no emotion. She offered a weak smile, that felt closer to a cringe, and watched as he studied her a moment longer before he flicked his eyes away, continuing in his labour. Well, at least he wasn’t being downright malicious.

Katar realised she spoke too soon when a small finger jabbed into her chest. The shock elicited a small gasp from her as she glanced down to see the small spitfire of a man from before. Really, he honestly looked like he was no older than twelve.

“I don’t like you”, he stated through pursed lips.

Katara blinked. “I-uh…”

“I don’t like you at all. Betcha think that you’re top-shelf just ‘cause your dad’s a Chief of whatever, huh?” He raised a questioning brow. “Make a big dramatic entrance ‘cause you can?”

“What? No!” Katara raised her hands defensively. “That’s not what I think at all! I already told you, I didn’t mean to –“

“Oh, come now, the Duke” that same presumptuous drawl from before appeared at her side. She narrowed her eyes as the taller man, smirk reaching his eyes, rested his forearm carelessly on her shoulder.

She met his humour with a fire in her eyes as he flicked the underside of her chin. “Remember what Longshot said; we don’t wanna stir any more trouble with the Captain. Besides, we should be welcoming our new buddy Kuruk into the camp. How sad must it be to only have lemurs and dragon mooses to talk to?”

The Duke’s aggressive expression let lose a snicker as he kept his eyes trained on the waterbender. Katara lifted her head higher.

Jet snickered along. “Really, I should apologise for my actions before. It was rather rude of me. You’ve obviously had it rough if your only friends are animals. Being away from the South Pole must be hard, huh?”

“Betcha he misses his cute, little igloo. Nothing to hide in up here, eh?” The Duke piped up.

“The Water Tribe are pretty close with each other, right? You’re all basically just one big, happy family”, his condescending tone was grating on every nerve in her body. “You have a girl back home? A cousin, maybe?”

The Duke guffawed at that, leaning forward as he gasped for breath. Katara was in the middle of trying to control her own.

Suddenly, Jet turned his head so Katara could directly feel the tickling of the wheat in his mouth and his breath on her ear. She bristled as the straw shifted against her cheek with his soft chuckles. “You may be the son of your nation’s leader, but you’re kidding yourself if you think we’re gonna respect you for _that_. My guess is you’ve spent your entire life cooped up in your tiny world separated from the War. Me and the boys, we’ve seen horrors you can only imagine. This war has broken us down and we’ve built ourselves back up again, and we’re stronger for it... We’ve seen your type before. You’re still just an entitled little Water Boy who never left the shelter of his own home because he didn’t have to, there was nothing forcing him to. So you just stayed put in your safe little bubble, away from the epicentre of death and destruction.”

“Now, you’ve been drafted into the mess you’ve been avoiding this whole time, but hey, you’re still the son of a Chief; practically royalty! There’s nothing you need to worry about, you’ve got the peasants for shields. You’ll be back home, cuddled up in furs before you know it, and Daddy will be _oh so proud_ of his little war hero.”

Katara kept her gaze steady as Jet abandoned her shoulder, coming round to stare her straight on with an unsettling grin tracing his lips. “Well, let me be the one to knock down that wall of delusions. You see, here, we’re all equal; every one of us. Doesn’t matter who you are; if you do something to piss us off, we’re gonna make your life a living hell”, he said like the prospect of it was the most entertaining thing in the world. “Out there, you need people to watch your back, make sure no one’s gonna come around and get you from behind… you got anyone like that you can trust?”

Katara saw her reflection’s courage crumble in Jet’s dark eyes and lowered her gaze slightly. He’d hit the nail on the head, brought her down to her smallest size and called her out on every single insecurity she was feeling at the moment.

Katara wasn’t some shy, measly girl who could be sent home crying as soon as someone told her that her hair loopies looked stupid. She was made with skin as tough as the ice she treaded back home. She was self-assured, confident in her abilities and her morals; she didn’t need anyone to pat her on the head and she was _way_ too stubborn to agree when someone insulted or disregarded her. However, that didn’t exclude her from acknowledging that she wasn’t perfect, that she did make mistakes… that right now, she was _terrified_ of failing. Jet had missed some points due to some obviously key missing information, but the points he _had_ gotten right had shocked Katara to her core. How… how had he _done that so effectively?_

Katara internally winced as Jet drew away with a scoff. “Yeah… that’s what I thought. Come on, The Duke, we’ve got tents to put up. See ya ‘round… Water Boy.”

She watched on as the duo walked back toward the undignified cluster of misshapen tents, tensing as Jet threw her one more dirty look over his shoulder. She hated how she knew this wasn’t going to be an exclusive event. Swallowing whatever fragments of her pride remained, Katara tucked her head in and walked to the nearest pile of tents she could see. As she set about picking up random poles and pegs, she couldn’t help the tinge of disappointment as she occasionally glanced over toward the various groups, particularly Jet’s. There was a real sense of comradery and friendship centred around his unique, little gang, and every time one of them laughed at their friend’s expense or helped another in lifting a beam, Katara saw a flash of grinning, transparent eyes coupled with a wicked grin. Her heart felt a little heavier.

As the hours rolled on until the dim purple of dusk painted the sky, pictures of Toph, Sokka and her and all the different kinds of mischief they had gotten up to played over in her mind. Time became an unknown as she rolled into a pattern; pick something up, figure out where it went, haul it over there, fix it, check on Banlu, start the process again. It wasn’t until she heard a throat clearing behind her that she was snapped out of a particularly fond memory of Sokka being coated in fish guts, arctic seal pups lapping at his sides while she and Toph were howling on the floor. Straightening, she looked behind to see crimson pants and tunic, with those beautiful gold accents weaving through the material, matching impeccably with those stupefying eyes.

Katara opened her mouth, only to find it utterly silent and useless.

“I just came over to make one thing perfectly clear with you”, his voice said low and threateningly. Katara chose to ignore the shiver that ran up her back.

“I know you must think you have some…liberty, being the son of a national leader. A sense of entitlement, self-worth. Nobility buys you nothing in a war, no one is exempt from violence and penury. These men don’t care for any of that, the enemy _certainly_ doesn’t care for that when they’re two seconds away from personally bringing you to hell. If you want to stay in my camp, in my battalion, then I expect nothing but one hundred and ten percent effort from you at all times. If another man carries sixty pounds of rice, you better be carrying sixty-six. If everyone else is awake at 6am, I expect to hear you practicing drills by 5:30. Am I understood?”

Katara took a breath and looked up into his eyes, summoning all the strength she could. “Perfectly. I won’t let you _or_ my father down. I swear on my honour.”

Something flashed in the golden specks of his eyes, and he took a step closer, glowering as Katara craned her neck to maintain eye contact. There was… _something_ in those eyes that bore down into her core, that made her both want to shrink and shrivel as small as she could become, and to rise up to the challenge glinting in those narrowed slits.

“You aren’t just given honour… you have to _earn_ it.”

With that, the captain turned on his heel and strode away, cloak billowing slightly in the wind, the last rays of sun painting his midnight hair a warm shade of umber. Her eyes followed him as he reached a large tent, took one look to the left, then swiftly slipped inside. She sighed.

A small weight settled on her shoulder and she glanced in her peripheral vision to see Aang’s furry face smiling softly at her. “Not the best start, huh?”

“Tell me about it…” she groaned.

A webbed hand patted her cheek. “Don’t worry, tomorrow is a new day. The sun will still be shining, and like Captain Zuko said, you put in a hundred and ten percent effort and you’ll be fine! Once you show the other guys that you’re just as good as them, you’ll be making friends left, right and centre. I’m sure of it!”

She groaned again.

* * *

The world was silent, save for the chorus of a few scattered crickets chirping in sleeping hours, providing company to Katara’s active mind, thoughts swarming as she lay in her tent, staring up at the pointed ceiling. The occasional scuffle of Banlu’s hooves outside, and Aang’s soft snores as he curled up at her side barely registered as she thrummed her fingers against her chest absentmindedly.

This was the first moment’s peace she’d had alone in which exhaustion hadn’t completely overridden her mind, and the first thing she’d thought about was her family.

Her father and Gran-Gran were not idiots; it wouldn’t have taken them long to figure out what she’d done. She wondered how they’d taken her abrupt departure. Gran-Gran would be aching with worry, fretting over her ‘little waterbender’ and chastising her at her bull-headed behaviour, tutting as she marched around the house, muttering under her breath ‘just like her mother’, ‘never thinks these things through’, ‘so headstrong’. She’d be on her knees, praying to the Spirits every night that they watch over both of her grandchildren and keep them safe. However, Kanna was equally headstrong and bull-headed; Katara knew a small part of her would be smiling, proud that Katara had chosen to define her own destiny. She’d be congratulating Hakoda on raising such independent children.

Her father. Katara’s bottom lip trembled. Spirits, was he coping? She knew he had to, for the sake of the Tribe – the ever fearless leader, keeping his people safe and strong no matter the adversity. He couldn’t afford to show any weakness in public. Her mind threw a scenario into her head, depicting her father walking home, head held high, yet blues eyes glistening as he stepped over the threshold of their doorway, knees buckling beneath him as a choked sound tore through his throat. Shaky hands reached for his pocket, carefully retrieving something. A cry ripped through his entire body as he thumbed the small, silver emblem, tracing the blue material that was connected to it. Katara’s fingers ghosted over her neckline, her vision clouding as her throat constricted.

“I’m sorry, Dad”, her shaky breath barely passed her lips. She swallowed thickly, her hand reaching up to encase her shaking mouth. “I’m so sorry…”

Salty tears trailed down her cheek as she silently wept, teeth biting into her trembling bottom lip until it stung. Her free arm wrapped around her torso, and she rolled over, curling into a foetal position. Her own nails dug into her side as she clenched as tight as she could in the hope that if she squeezed hard enough, she could wring the pain out. Time lulled on until, eventually, exhaustion overcame her and she collapsed into the waiting arms of sleep.

* * *

“ _Wakey wakey, Kataraaaaaa…_ ”

“Katara…”

“Hey, Katara!”

“N’yeah, ‘m up, ‘m up”, Katara mumbled, stretching each limb as she yawned. Her melancholic thoughts of the night before had been greatly soothed (not solved) thanks to the surprisingly good sleep she’d received, despite the hard ground. She blinked in the sun’s glare’s that came and shone through the mask of the tent, its warm rays soaking into her stiff joints.

 _‘I could get used to this’_ , she thought with a hum of contentment.

Her hum continued as an intoxicating aroma filled her senses, sitting up to breathe in the delightful smell. Properly opening her eyes, a slight gasp escaped her lips to see Aang seated next to her hip, straining to hold a bowl containing some sort of rice dish.

The small lemur boy beamed up at her, swaying slightly under the weight of the too-large dish. “Morning, Katara! Thought I’d get you some breakfast.”

“Aang, what-”

“Okayu with pickled plums; the camp cook whipped it up this morning. I managed to sneak some out here before he started serving the rest of the soldiers.”

Katara smiled fondly at the young spirit, reaching out to scratch behind his ear. “That’s so sweet of you. Thank you, Aang.”

He returned the smile before dipping slightly. “I, ugh”, he chuckled anxiously, “would you mind taking the bowl from me now, though? It weighs about as much as I do.”

“Oh my gosh, yes, I’m so sorry”, Katara rushed out, quickly grabbing the dish and a pair of chopsticks from her bag. She didn’t hesitate as she plunged the cutlery in, bringing a large chunk of sticky rice porridge up to her lips. Her tastebuds and stomach suddenly remembered they hadn’t had a decent meal in a couple of weeks, and danced at the hot food being presented to them. The warm, mushy substance melted on her tongue, and she couldn’t supress the moan as she savoured the flavour, eyes closing in serenity. They snapped open again at the sound of Aang’s chirruping laughter.

“Whad?” she said through a mouthful of porridge, rapidly swiping at some of the stray grains that dribbled out of her mouth.

Aang openly snorted at that, then rolled onto his back with laughter. “You… I don’t think you need to worry about fitting in out there.”

She shoved at the boy, a smirk crossing her full lips as she went in for another mouthful. “Stop it. I’m just appreciating good food.”

“Mhmm, yeah”, Aang said breathlessly, smile still evident in his voice. “Either way, keep acting like that, and I don’t think we’ll need to worry about anything.”

The weight of his words suddenly set on Katara, and her hand froze mid-air. This was it; no turning back at this point. As soon as she walked out of the tent flap, she’d commence training with the United Forces, preparing to fight the ever-nearing presence of Ozai and his army. She was painfully aware of what was at stake, what she had to lose. Her father’s sword lay in the corner of the tent, catching the sun’s early rays. Placing the bowl down, she leaned forward, grabbing the hilt and pulling it into her lap. It felt odd, unbalanced, in her unaccustomed hands. She carefully cradled it, turning it over and watching as the blade reflected dancing beams of light across the walls of the tent. The royal blues, cerulean and navy tones were woven into the handle, giving it an incredible, regal look. It was eerily beautiful.

Aang shifted beside her. “You… okay?”

She looked up. “Hm? Oh… yeah, I’m fine.”

“Katara…” he warned, tone slightly more forceful than his normally soft, bubbly voice.

She sighed, placing the sword down on her right. “I’m just… I don’t know, Aang. I want to say I’m okay, but… this is crazy, right? This is crazy dangerous.”

He shrugged then smiled reassuringly. “Yeah, maybe it is. But when you’re out there today, you have to remember why you’ve pushed and struggled to get here. You can’t focus on the ‘what if’s; you can only focus on the here and now.”

“But the ‘here and now’ contains a _hell_ of a lot of ‘what if’s.”

“I know, but if you let yourself get bogged down with what _might_ happen, you’ll never get the chance to see what _could_ happen.” He paused to look down, webbed hands fiddling with each other. “The monks used to have a saying: ‘All that we are is the result of what we have thought’. If you go out there and are too focused on your own insecurities, you’ll never get the opportunity to see just how much you can grow.”

Katara looked into his earnest, mossy eyes, so open and honest and bare to her. She saw internalised pain and guilt reflected in them, yet something stronger shined through. His ears were shifting with a slight quiver, and his smile strained to reach his eyes. His tail reached out to wrap around a couple of her fingers, soft fur brushing gently against her caramel skin. Katara turned her hand over, looping her index and middle fingers around his tail and lightly squeezed.

Aang offered a stronger smile, crawling closer to the waterbender. “I know you’re scared, Katara; I’m worried too and I’m not even the one crossdressing”, he joked, eliciting a small chuckle from said crossdresser, “but you have to have faith in yourself. You’ve gotten this far, haven’t you?”

Katara dropped her gaze, smiling shyly. “Yeah, but not without your help. I doubt I’d have been able to do this without Banlu, either”, she pointed out, gesturing to the shadow waiting outside.

“Point taken; walking this far would’ve been _soooo_ boring.”

“Not really the point I was trying to make there, but sure.”

“The point _I’m_ trying to make is that we may have helped, but it was _you_ who made the decisions, _you_ who took all the big steps in getting to where we all are now”, he says, before quirking an ‘eyebrow’. “I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have made it past getting to the ship.”

Katara’s brows furrowed. “I seriously doubt that, Aang.”

“Really?” he laughed out. “Look, I may be an 'all-knowing Spirit' with a few good tips rolling around up here, but you _do_ remember I’m still barely a teenager, right? If I’d been in your shoes, I’d have been more interested in finding penguin otters to sled on!” A wistful, far-off look crosses his face. “Penguin sledding’s the best…”

Katara chuckled. “I haven’t done that in years...”

“Exactly my point.”

She looked Aang dead in the eye, finding him staring right back at her. They held out for a few moments before Katara broke away with a sigh. “I’m still worried.”

“You’d be crazy not to be.”

“My entire family probably thinks I’m insane.”

“That may be true.”

“I’m still going to do it, though.”

“I think that’s a very wise and brave decision.”

Taking in a deep breath, Katara grabbed her comb and began to pull her hair back. As she fastened the tie into that warrior’s upstyle, she glanced down at Aang, smiling lopsidedly. “Thanks for the pep talk, Aang. I really appreciate it.”

His expression reflected her own as he leapt a few steps back. “Anytime, Katara. Anytime. Bit of positivity before you join the rest of those guys out there with sticks shoved up their-”

“Wait, what”, Katara butted in, eyes widening as her hands froze under her tunic where they’d been wrapping her sarashi. “They’re already outside?”

Aang nodded, pointing out the flap. “Yeah they were finishing breakfast five minutes before I came in to see you- wait, Katara? You haven’t finished your breakfast yet!”

“… it’s the most important meal of the day!”


	7. And Then There Was Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> howdy howdy howdy readers.  
> wow, we've got over 1000 hits and nearly 100 kudos!! thanks so much!!  
> Soooo, Year 12, Term 3 is ~death~  
> I've got QCS exams (the state-wide general examination) coming up in about 2 weeks so slighttttt hiatus commencing... nowish.
> 
> also  
> -IMPORTANT NOTICE-  
> the plan for this story has taken a bit of a turn  
> originally, it was going to be very true to the storyline of Mulan, but I've since had an epiphany aaaaand, we're no longer doing that :D basically, ish is gonna get a bit darker, more intense, more gruesome; you get the gist. I will be putting warnings on chapters that require them. For these reasons, I've been debating and have decided to change the story's title. So about a day or two after posting THIS chapter, you can say goodbye to 'You Have Saved Us All' and hello to "Swift Rivers and Raging Fires"  
> All of this was not a sudden decision and I gave much thought to everything. I've already written some scenes that came to mind for future chapters and... well... commence tearbending. In this way, I hope the story will be more unpredictable as well, which means more interesting for you guys to read. Hope y'all still stick around :3

Katara had just finished tying her belt as she stumbled into the clearing, slightly breathless from the sudden sprint. Pausing to recollect herself, she purposefully gazed around, taking in her surroundings with a dawning feeling of horror. Aang had been correct; it seemed as though every man and his polar bear dog was lined up, poised to move at the first order to do so. Maroon flashed in her periphery and she turned her gaze to capture the Captain walking in long strides over toward the line of soldiers. Scurrying as quickly as she could, she weaselled her way beside a quiet-looking guy with long, brown hair and the big, burly man from Jet’s gang. She recalled The Duke referring to him as ‘Pipsqueak’ the day before, when he’d been screeching for assistance as he struggled to lift a pole as least double his body weight.

Barely getting the chance to mumble a half-apology to the silent person on her right, Katara straightened her back, puffing her chest as the anticipation built inside her. Her vision trained the Captain, his stoic and regal expression commanding the attention of every single pair of eyes there.  She worked to keep her face impassive as he passed her frigid frame, forcing herself to stare at a particular tree in the distance as his critical eyes quickly glanced over her. A slight, shuddering breath escaped her as he calmly continued to the next few people.

“Well”, he said, making his way back to the front of the battalion, “good to know most of you are more capable at being prompt than you are at fixing tents.”

A comment that normally would’ve garnered some laughs was silenced by piercing amber eyes, somehow looking at everyone simultaneously as he moved toward a railing. “As mentioned yesterday, my name is Captain Zuko, and I am your commanding officer.”

Katara suddenly felt her tongue in her throat as he fluidly shrugged off the single-layer robe, the crimson cloth cascading off of broad shoulders, each back muscle visibly working to pull toned arms out of the sleeves. She was fairly certain a firebender had accidently blasted her in the face as he turned, making a definitive decision that having to look at the front of him was worse.

Chiselled chest, washboard abs that contracted as he leaned to place his robe aside. No. It was _definitely_ better.

‘ _Katara, I won’t hesitate to slap you. Focus on him. Not_ on _him. But… on him. Oh, Spirits, grant me mercy.’_

“I expect this same level of dedication and more in every aspect of training”, his authoritative tone yanked her from her own inner turmoil. “This isn’t some little club; this is war. Only by listening to my every word will you have a chance at surviving and defeating the enemy. Failure to do so will not only get you killed, but will see you answering directly to me. And trust me when I say, the latter is worse. So much worse.”

A snort sounded from further down the line, and Katara craned her head a fraction to see Jet smirking at the Captain, idly twirling the wheat in his mouth.

Said Captain turned to face the interruption, eyebrow quirking as he crossed his arms. “Something… funny?”

Jet let out a chuckling sigh, lazily placing his hands on his hips. “I just find it weird that we’re getting a pep talk about being tough from you. That’s some mighty fine gold on those red robes of yours.”

The Captain blinked before unfolding his arms, a glint in his eyes as he stepped to the side. “Come forward.”

Jet hesitated for a moment, raising an eyebrow, before shrugging noncommittedly and walking over opposite the Captain. He stopped, slowly turned and then dropped his head with a slight bounce as though moving had been the last thing on his agenda that day.

The Captain observed him for a split moment. “Jet, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“‘Yes, it is, _sir_ ’.”

“No need to use formal titles on me, Captain.”

He snickered at that, and Katara felt Pipsqueak shake with concealed mirth beside her. She could imagine The Duke doing a similar action. She couldn’t say the same about Longshot.

Katara waited for some burst of outrage from the Captain about disrespect and honour, yet the only giveaway that he’d actually heard Jet’s words was a twitch of his lip. He then began to carefully circle Jet, like a polar leopard closing in on an unsuspecting turtle seal.

“Tell me, _Jet_ , have you ever heard of the term ‘Agni Kai’.”

A pause. “Can’t say I have.”

“Long ago, there were two twin spirits: one named Agni, and the other Kai. They were children of the Sun Spirit, Amaterasu. Their mother had always told them that one day, once they had proven themselves worthy and honourable enough to do so, they would be granted some of her power and be able to wield the sun in their hands. However, Agni and Kai had always been incredibly competitive with one another, and thus each determined that only one of them would become worthy enough.”

“Tensions between the two siblings rose as time went on, becoming more and more chaotic and dangerous to the world around them, and their mother soon noticed. She ordered them to stop, saying that this constant quarrel would disrupt the balance and could not go on any longer. It was then the twins reached a climactic point and realised the dispute had to be settled once and for all. They agreed on a duel, the victor being whoever was the last one standing. Their mother disproved of the idea, yet could see no alternative, so unwillingly let them proceed.”

“For the majority of the duel, it appeared that Kai would be victorious; always landing the correct hits that sent Agni flying. Yet, Agni did not give up. Just when it seemed as though Kai would win, Agni felt a fire lit within themselves, and they surged forward, insurmountable heat coming in waves from them. Kai fell down with a scream, having being burned, and thus Agni was declared the winner, having already gained Amaterasu’s power. And so from that moment on, whenever a dispute needed settling, firebenders would partake in the duel named after the twin spirits.”

Jet waited a beat before speaking up. “Uhhh, cute story, but I fail to see whatever message you’re clearly trying to get me to understand.”

The Captain walked a short distance away from Jet, keeping his back to the confused soldier. “I thought it was obvious.”

Then, fast as lightning, he dipped down, spinning on his heel as he swept a leg behind Jet’s calves, agilely standing square once more as Jet fell on his backside with an uncharacteristic squawk. Katara flicked her widened eyes back up to the Captain’s face, his eyes shining with a hint of smugness.

“I’m challenging you to an Agni Kai.”

Jet spluttered from his place on the ground, looking up at the other man with disbelieving eyes. “Are you crazy?! Do I _look_ like a firebender to you?”

The raven-haired man looked down at him with deliberate patience. “No, but we can bend the rules.”

He leaned down, offering a hand to the indignant and highly embarrassed man. Jet took it begrudging huff.  

The Captain’s lip twitched in what may have been the start of a smirk. “In other words, no bending allowed in this Agni Kai. Fair chances, fair go. Consider this an… opportunity to demonstrate your skills to the rest of the recruits and me.”

Katara watched as Jet’s posture suddenly straightened, and she could hear the eager smile in his voice when he replied, “I’m in.”

* * *

Suffice to say, Jet’s eagerness at having a fair chance to go toe-to-toe with the commanding officer was quickly snuffed out, if his unintelligible grumbles as he limped back to the line were any indications. Katara had to bite her lip to stop the upward tilt forming on her mouth.

The Captain made quick work of duelling his way through the other soldiers, similar results coming from each and every one of them. Katara almost felt bad as she watched Pipsqueak receive a particular sharp-looking kick in the back, falling flat before his arm was pinned behind him, wheezing painfully as he frantically tapped the ground beneath him. The Captain yielded, stepping calmly back until Pipsqueak was on his feet again. He then bowed shallowly, nodding as bigger man shakily reciprocated the gesture. She winced as he then made his way back to his spot beside her, hands rubbing at the tender spot behind him.

“Kuruk, you’re up.”

Taking a deep breath, Katara stepped forward, nerves pooling at a boiling temperature in her stomach. She practiced fighting forms with Sokka at home in the past; though, it had always been more play-fight until someone falls on their backside and runs to dad. Never before had she actually participated in sparring match, especially against someone who’d trained for war on a daily basis. She risked a glance back, only to be met with Jet’s smug expression, growing wider as he mouthed ‘your turn, Water Boy’. She grimaced.

Turning her attention back to the Captain, Katara had to force her chin up to withstand his unimpressed expression, arms crossed in front of him as he waited for her to stand opposite him. His eyebrow moved a fraction, amber eyes bearing into her.

‘ _Fake it till you make it, Katara’_ , she nudged herself, eyes hardening as she stared the Captain straight on.

She mirrored his bow, allowing the motion to guide her breathing. Standing, heartbeat pounding in her ears, she vaguely heard the Captain call out ‘ _junbi’_ , and they moved into back stance, fists raised. Eyes staying glued to her opponent, she didn’t need to turn to feel every pair of eyes on her. The air felt thick and unbreathable, too hot and too sticky for her frozen limbs. Everything was loud and bright to her senses, yet Katara forced her body to still.

The Captain moved first. His immediate offensive approach sent Katara’s instincts into overdrive, and she blocked then ducked his punch-kick combination. He swung around behind, leaning back as he aimed a powerful spinning heel kick for her head, immediately bobbing down not a second too soon. She leapt to the side of him, her wide eyes flicking left too late to see his precise turn and calculated knife hand strike, the brunt of his bone connecting with the back of her neck sharply. She staggered forward with a strained grunt, wheeling around with a raised forearm that halted his oncoming left hook. The small victory was short-lived, as a faint smirk flittered across his lips for the briefest second before he circled the blocked arm around her own; grabbing, pulling, and twisting it toward him so Katara fell forward with the painful wrenching of her shoulder. For a moment, she thought she was going to crash straight into his chest, but then he suddenly swung her out so he stood behind, his free hand securing around her free wrist and locking the captive one in place behind her back.

She winced at the growing pressure as he forced her elbow further up her spine. Shifting and wiggling, she knew he really had her pinned. He beat her in size, strength and skill; there was probably no way in hell she was getting out of this. Nevertheless, she pushed through the increasing discomfort, determined to do what she could.

A hot breath drifted across her skin, sending goosebumps trailing away from the epicentre. Her own breath hitched as the gravelly voice belonging to the man behind her asked, “You planning on tapping out?”

“I… N-no. I… I can do this.”

“Really? Who exactly are you trying to convince here? Me… or you?”

His grip on her wrist tightened, then more force applied to her pinned arm, sending throbbing jolts up to her shoulder. A sharp intake of breath hissed through her gritted teeth, eyes blinking rapidly to clear the black spots popping in her vision. Her pride sighed in defeat.

She weakly tapped her left hand against her thigh, body screaming as she waited with bated breath. When he finally released her, she fell forward on all fours, gasping at the sudden release of pain. The spots cleared from her eyes as her shuddering breaths pumped oxygen through her body, eyes closing as she attempted to regain composure. Her nerves and senses neared equilibrium, and the casual muttering and conversation of the other recruits reached her awareness. Her alias was mentioned occasionally – she didn’t need to hear the surrounding words to know they weren’t praises. She wouldn’t be praising herself right then either. She wasn’t.

Swallowing, Katara pushed herself up, turning to face the Captain’s harsh disposition. His mouth was pressed in a thin line, thick brows furrowing down onto his calculating eyes. The only tell-tale that he’d just exerted himself in any way was the slightly exaggerated rise and fall of his chest, and the few beads of sweat that trailed down his profile. He looked over her for another moment before bringing his feet together, hands by his sides as he bowed. Katara followed suit, eyes squeezing shut at the lowest point of the gesture.

Shame blossomed in her stomach, filling her to the brim as she turned, head down, and walked back to her spot in the line. The heat of his eyes followed her every step, and she hunched further in on herself.

“Haru, step forward.”

She rolled her shoulder with a stifled wince, lifting her hand to work fingers into the tender joints. The sting from her nails digging in slightly too sharp drew away from the stigma she felt from her too-short sparring match. She’d never expected the training to be easy, and she’d never expected to outshine the other recruits, but the knowledge that she’d been overcome in such a short amount of time stung her pride more than she wanted to admit. Despite never having a master to teach her, she’d always striven to build on what she knew of her own abilities, grasping every chance to hone her skills and become the best fighter she could. Given the amount of times she’d bested Sokka or gotten the drop on him, with or without her bending, she’d developed some pride in what she could do.

Now, she watched the Captain duck to the side to avoid Haru’s axe kick, before bouncing back with butterfly round that collided with the earthbender’s jaw. Haru was clearly a trained fighter, using sturdy, blunt forms Katara associated with the resilient ways of an Earth Kingdom citizen, eyes stuck on his opponent as he acted and reacted to the combat. But the Captain’s absolute precision and unfazed demeanour as he flowed from move to move effortlessly were unmatched, and Haru too was soon subdued. This was the pattern that developed as each recruit had their turn, and through it all, the commanding officer didn’t lose concentration or power, movements seeming automated all the way through, from the first to the eighty-ninth. When he’d overpowered the final recruit, a short, stocky man with a permanent grimace on his face, he turned to face the lot, hardened displeasure on his face.

“I hope whatever oversized egos you had before have now been reined in. You all may be part of the United Forces infantry, but you’ve got a long way to go before any of you can call yourselves soldiers.” His calculating eyes roved over the line of men, each shrivelling slightly under his harsh gaze. “We have until the summer solstice to get you all prepared for the journey and battles that lay ahead. If you are not swift enough, you will die. If you are not resilient enough, you will die. If you are not strong enough… you. Will. _Die._ ”

Each punctuated word felt like a dagger in Katara’s chest.

“Eight weeks, two lunar cycles; objectively not a long amount of time, but I can assure you that not a second of it will be wasted. By the time we leave for the front, each of you will be well-trained martial artists, skilled swordsmen, competent strategists, and expert survivors. In order to reach those peaks, I need you to give me everything you’ve got. Leave nothing on the table, bring it all to the ring. Less than maximum effort will constitute in punishment personally dealt by me. Do I make myself clear?”

“Sir, yes sir!”

He nodded once. “Good. Now… let’s get down to business.”

The rest of the day dragged Katara into a panting puddle of misery; going by painfully and painfully slow. The rest of the week followed in a similar manner… and by the end of day seven, as she sat in her secluded tent, massaging knuckles into her tightly coiled thighs, Katara was just about ready to collapse. Aang grimaced as she audibly winced, hitting a particularly ugly purple-black bruise that had been courtesy of a sparring match from the day prior. Every single muscle ached as a reminder of the gruelling drills and strength sets she’d been put through. Breathing out a low sigh then gritting her teeth in anticipation, she placed her hands behind, arms shaking as she shifted back on the futon. Bile rose in her throat at the sharp stinging of her core muscles when she lowered herself down. It took every fibre of her being not to whimper pitifully as she rolled onto her side.

She tiredly lifted the hand that wasn’t massaging her shoulder, tilted towards her open water skin as she guided some liquid out and toward her. She lazily watched as the water danced across her fingers, eyes half-lidded as fatigue set heavily on her.

“You okay, Katara?”

She offered a small smile. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“That’s not what I asked”, Aang replied with an oddly serious tone.

A sigh breathed out of her lips. “Just really wish I’d learned some healing techniques, that’s all.”

Aang looked away for a moment, before hopping closer to her. “I could maybe sneak out and find poultice, if that’d help.”

“Thanks, but it’s okay”, Katara replied softly, cringing as her hand began to cramp with incessant kneading.

“Really, it’s no trouble; I could just-”

“It’s fine, Aang.”

Aang flinched at her slightly blunt tone before pursing his mouth, resigning back into himself. “Okay… if you’re sure.”

Katara took in a deep breath. Perhaps she’d been a little too harsh with her dismissal; after all, Aang was just trying to help. But the deep-seated irritation that had been manifesting in her gut over the week had started to affect her overall mood, and her increasing pessimistic attitude that coupled it did not help in any way, shape or form. Maybe it was her outlandish desire for equality; that if the men weren’t receiving treatments for the wounds, why should she? Maybe it was her own stubborn way in which she thought if she was careless enough to get injured, perhaps she deserved to let the pain leave a memorable mark. Either way, sneaking into the medical tent to steal supplies felt wrong on many different accounts.

Her mind travelled back her family’s hut in the South Pole, where Gran-Gran had brought out a bunch of scrolls one day. They’d told tales of the Tribe, legends of brave men (and occasionally, women) who’d save the village from an eternal winter, or from a deadly pentapox epidemic, or from a pack of ravenous wolves. One that Katara had always been slightly more dismissive of, yet still found intriguing, was that of Yugoda: the woman who had singlehandedly relieved the entire Tribe of a relentless hypothermia-ruled winter, saving hundreds of lives. Her professional healing abilities had brought men back from death’s doorstep, and ensured five-year-old children got to see the Spirit Lights that danced across the night sky once again. Gran-Gran had always animatedly shared how legend told that when the healer had been practicing, her water glowed a diamond-white blue, reflecting glorious colours around her patients. Katara had once seen an older waterbender aiding a hunter who had a particularly nasty encounter with a polar-bear dog, her expert hands moving a beautiful cerulean-hued liquid over his wounds. She’d stared wide-eyed, mouth slightly agape as the oozing gash had been reversed, closing back up, leaving nothing behind but a thin line of scar tissue.

Taking her stiff hand away from her shoulder, she examined it. Red, angry knuckles that had been pushing her body weight off the ground, punching against trees and men alike stared back at her, her sore, weak fingers trembling at being held up. She frowned.

Spirits, how she now reflected poignantly on her past attitude towards the clearly useful skill. She would have done just about anything to relieve the constant tension and ache of her weary muscles.

She flicked her attention back to the water weaving between her fingers, eyes narrowing.

_‘Maybe… I could…’_

Somewhat hesitantly, she directed the water towards her other hand. She eased the liquid over her knuckles, a small sigh escaping her lips as the cool liquid flowed across her raw skin. Her eyes closed, blocking out all her surroundings as she focused on the dull ache beneath the water. She imagined it’s energy seeping in, gliding through the skin and ligaments toward the blood cells, breathing life as it gently coaxed the infuriated areas into a sense of calm and balance. She imagined it glowing a brilliant blue as it flourished in the healing process, twirling in delight at doing its job well. She imagined the tensed, bruised capillaries sighing in relief, the raw skin enveloping itself to repair. She imagined her hand becoming whole and unblemished once more.

Time seemed to disappear, the steady rhythm of her hand easing her into a sense of relaxation until she finally stopped. Slowly peeking through her thick lashes, her bottom lip jutted out. The hand was still ugly, gross, and in pain.

She let out a frustrated ‘arghhhh’, crashing sideways onto her back. Which hadn’t been the smartest move, forgetting she had a graze near her lumbar area. A curse barged out of her lips before she could stop it, wide eyes flicking in horror towards Aang, only to see the lemur boy curled up, fast asleep. Her head fell back against her makeshift pillow (compiled of whatever clothes she had – excluding her sarashi, which she slept in). She blinked tired, wistful eyes up at the beige tent canvas. The absence of the night sky made her heart ache, and she had half a mind to simply grab her futon and camp out under the stars. She’d never realised how much she loved having that window back home until she was miles upon miles away, stuck under a sky foreign to her own. Would she even recognise any of the constellations here? Would she be able to look up and see the Seven Waves, or Aqakuktuq’s Rod, or La?

 _‘Probably not’_ , she thought with a heavy heart, nestling down and closing her eyes, succumbing to the exhaustion that was nagging in her bones.

* * *

Katara was a hair length away from crucifying Jet. She’d had it up to _here_ with the jerk. Two weeks… just _two weeks_ and he’d managed to secure his place in Katara’s Top Five Idiotic Douchebags – right up there with Inuksuk and Pakku. She was very well prepared to face the wrath of the Captain if it meant she could blast a jet of water into his stupid smirking face.

She was focusing on controlling her breathing as she glared at him from her spot against a tree, back pressed into it as her legs shook from the wall sit she was holding. He must’ve felt the loathing coming off of her in waves, as he turned from his spot in the group, smiling on one side as he winked. Oh, he had the _gall_ …

They’d been in uniformed lines, each recruit holding a bamboo bo staff as they studied the Captain’s movements. He’d been teaching them about how the bo staff was more than just a weapon; it was a tool, and if used correctly, an invaluable one. Their weapon, no matter what it was, should be wielded as an extension of themselves, and used as a reflection of their own personality and fighting style. He described how he, himself, preferred duel Dao broad swords, two parts of the same whole that offered so much more power together rather than separate. Katara had been rather intrigued by this.

He first began by demonstrating some combats forms in which he thrust the staff out, made large sweeping arcs with it before crashing down to the ground, sliced it through the air in circular motions. The group watched in awe as he then went onto show its other uses, running straight toward a line of barrels before sticking the staff into the ground, jumping off and throwing his bodyweight forward as he vaulted over the obstacle. Landing on the other side with a slight stumble, he turned to the recruits, asking questions of other ways they could utilise the weapon.

Then, he started teaching some basic forms and patterns for the group to mimic. They’d all been spaced far enough apart to avoid any accidental contact with the hard timber.

Katara had completely zoned everything out save for the Captain’s and her own movements, focusing her entire being on perfectly replicating his steps, so when Jet mad a noise in her ear, it took all her concentration to not suddenly squeal like… well, a girl.

He looked ultimately pleased with himself at her startled and blushing disposition, which she quickly covered up with a look of utter annoyance.

“What do you want?” she hissed, abandoning any polite pretences, her patience with the tan-skinned man wearing thin.

He grinned. “Can’t I just make idle conversation with my good, old pal, Kuruk?”

Her eyes narrowed, wanting to spit out a million and one things about how he was the furthest thing from being her ‘pal’. What she really did was turn around back around to the front, whispering “Just cut it out, I’m trying to concentrate.”

Naturally, Jet didn’t cut it out. “There’s something I’ve been curious about. Your conscription; see, I thought, you know, being the Chief’s kid and all, there’d be ways of getting you out of it. Surely daddy didn’t wanna send his _pwecious wittle boy_ off to the big bad war?”

Katara ground her teeth. “My father believes in everyone serving their rightful duty to the war. I believe that, too. I was already helping with efforts at home, but conscription meant I was needed elsewhere, so of course I followed through.”

“Seems like a load of bull, if you ask me”, Jet snorted.

“Well, it isn’t. Now back off.”

Katara silently fumed when Jet poked her with the end of his bo staff. “Didn’t you mention something about a brother? Your big bro, Sukka, or something?”

“It’s _Sokka._ ”

Jet grinned like a kid at a festival. “Right, Sokka. He’s already enlisted, hasn’t he? What front is he on; Northern, Eastern? Perhaps the Southern?”

Katara could feel the steam blowing out her nose.

“Poor guy, must be tough. Hard for you too – no idea whether he’s still kicking Fire Nation ass or if he’s six feet under.”

“Shut up.”

“You wanted to go find your brother, fight with him in the war, make your old man proud. Or that’s what you told daddy. Really, you just wanna show him you’re just as good as Sokka, have him see you in the same eyes as he sees your cool, older brother.”

“ _Jet_.”

“I’m guessing there’s someone else at home, too. A sister, perhaps? And she wants nothing but to see her brothers make it home safely; that’s not true. She also wants you to bring back soldier friends, so she can finally find out what a real man feels-”

There’s a resounding _crack!_ as Katara’s bo staff connects with Jet’s shoulder, the end flying off in scattered splinters. The man went stumbling sideways, crashing into a few other people as he exclaimed in pain. Katara was facing him, breathing heavy and fast as she stared absolute murder into his dark eyes. Her entire body was tremoring in unadulterated rage.

“I told you to _shut. Up._ ”

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Katara started, head turning to watch the Captain storming over, fists clenched at his sides. Suddenly, Katara realised that all other movement had stopped, all focus now on her and the jerk she’d just _assaulted with a stick, oh my Spirits_ -

She let out a small gasp as the Captain grabbed the front of her shirt, feet skimming the ground as he lifted her closer. Those amber eyes were swimming with fury.

“What. Do you think. You’re doing”, he seethed.

She gulped, looking over to Jet from her now elevated position. “He insulted my family, sir.”

The answer clearly wasn’t satisfactory. “So you proceeded to act like a petulant child and hit him?”

Something stirred in her stomach as she met his eyes with steel. “When he wouldn’t listen to my requests to stop, yes. Sir.”

He glared at her for a moment before setting her back down, once again towering her. He stepped back to address the entire troop, his eyes straying to her more often than not, though. “A good soldier always maintains composure,” he commanded, before looking directly at Katara, “no matter what his own personal afflictions may be.”

He walked back over to her, eyes narrowing before flicking to a spot behind her. “Go to that tree over there and wall sit against it until your legs give out. When that happens, since you clearly have some pent-up aggression to work through, you are to do one hundred repetitions of jabs, hooks, uppercuts and crosses each, continuing through the sets until your fists bleed. I’ll be inspecting afterward to ensure you’ve done so.”

Katara’s expression must’ve been comical, as Jet and a few other recruits snickered when she didn’t answer. Spluttering, she gestured incoherently between the Captain, Jet, the tree and herself.

“Do you understand, _recruit_?”

She looked up back to him. “Sir, I- but Jet was- this isn’t-”

His furious stare silenced her. “… Yes, sir.”

She bowed, then turned, walking toward the tree, her face ablaze as every head swivelled to follow her.

She paused as he called out again. “Be sure to do the wall sit facing the group. It’s still imperative you learn from this instruction.”

Honestly, Katara had lost track of the time that she’d been doing said wall sit for. She wasn’t really focused on counting when her thighs and calves were currently _screaming_ to let go, body quivering with the locked tension. She was so close to just collapsing, but when she saw Jet and that damned satisfaction on his face, her stubborn side stuck its tongue out and said ‘screw you’. Though truth be told, she really didn’t think she could hold herself up much longer.

When the group had moved onto one-on-one sparring with the bo staffs, Katara finally relinquished, back scrapping down the rough bark as she eased herself onto the ground, sharp jolts echoing through her legs at the slightest movement. As she finally touched the grass below, her back folded, head between her knees as she panted.

Her legs. Were. _Burning_. She seriously doubted if she could stand right now. Or in the next few hours. They were still shaking, but now stable with her knees bent upward.

“Oh, Spirits… that hurt” she muttered to herself, eyes closing as she tilted her head back against the tree.

She needed relief. She opened her water skin and drew a small amount of liquid out. Bringing her hands back to her thighs, splaying them across the fabric-covered skin, she focused on the burning muscles within that were splitting her apart.

A chill spread through her fingers and onto her leg, sighing in relief as the fire was reduced to dying embers. Looking down, she saw the water wasn’t a brilliant blue; just simply icy and more solid.

_‘Who cares? It’s still helping.’_

The cool water was making her clothes damp, yet she could have cared less as the pain slowly ebbed away to a dull ache. She didn’t want the pain completely eradicated; somehow, the soft heat of aching muscles was a good pain. It gave her a strange sense of accomplishment.

Standing up, she moved around the tree so she was facing it but still able to observe the Captain’s teachings. Looking at the tree in front of her, she let out the most pitiful groan. The bark was jagged and undulated, looking and feeling incredibly rough to the touch. She raised her fists, moving back into stance and mentally preparing herself for the pain that would ensue. This was going to hurt.

* * *

The sun had well and truly begun its descent into the horizon, mauves and purple rubies easing over it, bleeding into the fading blue. It was beautiful, but Katara wouldn’t know; all she was seeing was brown and red. She’d stopped counting and lost her order of punches that she’d been following, now just hitting the innocent tree with a dying force. Her knuckles were bruised, throbbing with the relentless throws, yet by some dark Spirit, the skin hadn’t split yet. On top of that, every single muscle in her arm was in agony, and lifting her fist was just as much an exercise as was actually throwing the punches. She was _so_ done with this stupid exercise.

She vaguely heard distant laughter carrying from the campsite, the smell of fire and cooking meat drifting over. Her stomach growled in protest.

“Oh, shut up, will you”, Katara muttered, grunting as she threw a particularly powerful punch at the tree, hitting it with a dull thump. A piece of bark fell from it in her periphery.

“So, how’s the tree holding up?”

Katara paused, stepping back and looking to the left in mild surprise, watching as the Captain approached her. His hair, while still in its topknot, had become somewhat loose, strands of it falling down to frame his face. He’d placed a light tunic and vest over his smoky-grey pants, opting for more coverage like he usually did at nightfall.

Katara pushed some of her own sweaty hair from her face. “Not as good as it was before”, she replied a little breathlessly.

A small smirk formed on his lips. “Glad to hear it.”

There was a small pause before his eyes flicked down to her hands. “Show me.”

Obliging, Katara lifted her battered hands and he stepped closer. Red knuckles glared back at them, angry blemishes covering the joints, small cracks of crimson lacing down her fingers. She felt a tinge of pride to see a droplet of red liquid rolling away from one of the lines.

Feeling satisfied with herself, she risked a glance up at the Captain, trying to gauge his reaction. His expert eyes seemed to be studying each and every single skin cell, and Katara prayed to whichever Spirit had been granting her luck on her journey that she passed whatever requirements he had set.

He nodded once then glanced up. “Good. Hopefully this means this’ll be the only lesson you need to teach yourself.”

Katara frowned at that. “Uh… _you_ were the one who ordered me to do those things. Sir”, she hastily added.

He lightly scoffed, the sound seeming odd coming from the strict officer. “I did, but I wasn’t breathing over your shoulder forcing you to do so.”

“You wouldn’t have kicked me out if I hadn’t obeyed?”

“No. If I hadn’t seen evidence that you’d pushed yourself to complete the set task, _then_ I would have personally dealt with you. Which would have been highly less effective. When you are set to learn something by yourself, you’re given more freedom to contemplate, which can be a highly effective tool – almost as more effective a character-building technique as physical strain is.”

A shadow cast over his amber eyes as he then said, “The best lessons you can learn are ones you teach yourself. Not ones forced upon you by others.”

 _‘Oh… oh that’s smart’,_ she thought with a slightly dumbfounded expression.

Taking a deep breath, the Captain stepped back. “Dinner is being served: pig chicken udon noodle soup. Eat quickly. After, be sure to stick those in water and rinse them of any dirt, then go to the medic and get some salve on the cuts. Bandage up afterwards. I don’t want to hear any complaints about pain during training tomorrow.”

Katara nodded, then bowed. “Yes, sir.”

He nodded shortly in response then swiftly turned without another word in Katara’s direction. She blew a bilabial trill through her lips, looking at the Captain in perplex.

_‘Not bad on the eyes, but kind of a blunt, smart-alec douchebag.’_

She shrugged, sighing as she looked once more at her banged-up hands. Spirits above, she prayed this wouldn’t become a normal occurrence. If so, she desperately needed to figure out a way to heal herself if she had any hope in keeping pace with the other recruits.

Taking a breath, she stepped forward, following the path of the captain back to the campsite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Don’t do it  
> Also me: Im gonna do it  
> Me: Dont do it!  
> Also me: I’m gonna bloody do it!  
> Me: ISTG if YOU DO IT-  
> Also me: I BLOODY WELL DID IT – its now canon that Zuko makes blatant references to Shang’s ‘lets get down to bussinessss, to defeat (BANG BANG) the huuuuuns. (HYAHHH!)  
> _____________________  
> WELL THAT WAS A DOOZIE  
> not gonna lie, i had a mixed emotions and feelings writing this chapter. action scenes are fckn hard, man. i was 100% listening to the wonder woman soundtrack writing most of it sksksksjs
> 
> Also, i want to make this story a lil more... gayer.  
> Soooo, if you guys have any LGBTQ pairing/s you'd like to see (happy to write established character x OC too), drop suggestions in the comments!
> 
> As always, I live for the reviews - they make my heart go UwU - so dont be afraid to comment!  
> xx


	8. Sticks and Stones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *nervously twiddling thumbs* ehehe, sorry for the short chapter?
> 
> okay but fr, so sorry its been awhile since i've updated. grade 12 has been a real bitch and i'm ready to disown her. furthermore, i hit a MAJOR writers' block coming back to this and just couldnt find the motivation. so, sorry if this is kinda *bleh* in quality.
> 
> the story is gonna start moving along from here ;) tingz are getting ~interesting

It was nearing the end of the fourth day of fourth week of training, and Pakku – ‘ _Master Pakku’,_ Katara thought begrudgingly – had partnered the troop off to go through some offensive and defensive _Tai chi_ blocking. A young man, barely above a boy, with wild hair and doe eyes had made a remark on how the martial art looked incredibly similar to some waterbending moves he’d seen.

“That’s because they are one in the same”, Pakku replied with his typical air of annoyance. This piqued Katara’s interest.

Keeping one eye on her partner, she secretly observed the exchange unfold between the master and the recruit. “Since the first lion turtle granted the power over an element to a human, the art of its forms and patterns has been greatly expanded on and refined to suit the energy of each element. And that is what _Tai chi_ , along with any fighting style, is: an _art._ You never sporadically react to your opponent; you should always be acting, assertive, planning your moves well before you execute them. You hone your craft through practice until every attack and block is perfect, and every one of them memorised and reserved for its own use. Martial arts should be a fluid motion of effortlessness; not a reckless hit-and-miss, thrown-together flurry of limbs.”

“As I said, the energy of an element is what shapes the way in which it is… manipulated is not the correct word…” he trailed off, eyebrows furrowing as he glanced down for a moment. “ _Guided_ , I should think, suits better. For water, it is a push and pull. Fluidity, interchangeability, and resilience are what encompasses the very element and being of water; even if you surround it with earth and rock and any matter of life, so long as the water keeps flowing, it will eventually erode its obstacle and break through. Even the hottest, brightest flame can be drowned in the right amount of rain.”

Katara blinked at that, quickly refocusing to catch her opponent’s fist an inch from her face, holding it and twisting to the side so he fell forward ungracefully.

“Since as much as half the global population are non-benders, such as yourself, however, these bending forms were long ago sought to be made applicable to those lacking power over an element. _Tai chi_ , at its principle, has remained much like waterbending: an ever-flowing movement. Many who find themselves in a fight will go on the offensive; a _yang_ reaction, if you will. The philosophy behind Tai Chi, and ergo waterbending, is to meet the violent force with a softer approach. In this way, the possibility of harm being done is lessened greatly, and the artist can use their opponents' own force against them, flow with the punches until they tire or are overcome. Now, close your mouth, eyes up, and run through Pattern 24 again. _Do_ try not to make a fool of yourself this time.”

Turning her full attention, Katara didn’t have a second to analyse Pakku’s monologue before the heel of her opponent’s palm was thrust into her chin, jaw consequently shutting so hard and fast that her teeth slammed into her tongue, the metallic taste of blood promptly filling her mouth. Her head snapped back at the movement and she stumbled backward, before planting her feet and bending her knees as she quickly spat out the misplaced liquid. Narrowed eyes flickered back up to the dark-haired man with the crooked nose. He noticed her unsteadiness, fierce expression and tense stance faltering for a moment; which was all Katara needed to push forward once more with a jumping roundhouse kick.

Several minutes and fresh bruises later, Katara bowed to her opponent, absolutely, totally not relishing slightly in the audible wince that escaped him as he straightened once more. His steely, green eyes shot her a look that quickly silenced whatever expression she was making, and she turned away.

Pakku’s words sat her with as the night progressed, alone in their actions as she settled slightly away from the rest of the recruits, eating her turkey duck _karaage_ and rice in silence. She reached her chopsticks into the bowl, lifting them to turn the sesame-sprinkled rice before popping it into her mouth.

‘A push and pull’: those were the words that Pakku had used, and the more she thought about them, the more she realised that was what she had been feeling every time she bent. Like the moon directing the tides onto the shore; a constant, never-ending cycle that could never be broken by any length of time or space. A waterbender’s chi flowed like the very waves they bent, reflecting the fluidity and perseverance of their own soul. It made more and more sense as Katara furrowed her brows, shoving a mouthful of meat in. The hunger that had been satiated long enough was settling back into her stomach, the growing pain of need once again becoming too much to supress and ignore.

Taking the final bite of her dinner, she got up and walked over to the pot-bellied cook, smiling as she thanked him for the meal. She surveyed the campsite, taking note of who she could see, who was about two seconds away from collapsing into their tent, and who was busting out the bottles of _saké_. Satisfied, she walked over to the table in which Master Pakku and the Captain sat for their meals, surprised to find she wasn’t at the absence of the commanding officer. Regardless, she bowed to the master waterbending, asking permission to retire to her tent for the night. With a pained huff, he dismissed her with the wave of his hand. She struggled to control the quiet smirk and bounce in her step as she moved away.

Just as she neared her tent, she noticed a flash of maroon and her line of sight turned to capture the red-clad figure with the scar walking back toward camp. A few buzzard wasps flittered into her stomach as she took in his strange expression and posture, normally brooding but regal – a picture of quiet, solemn confidence and composure. Yet now, as she took in his hunched shoulders, his clenched fists, his bowed head, with every line etched on his face hardening in tension, she felt as though the world has gone slightly off balance. Furthermore, his normally tightly-bound topknot was undone, and dark, shaggy locks fell across his marred face. It was disconcerting to see the stoic Captain so unsettled.

At that moment, he looked up and their eyes met. Katara purposefully ignored the shiver that ran down her back as his amber eyes sparked with unbridled contempt. It lasted for the smallest sliver of a second before the mask was once again placed over his face, blinking twice before he took steps in her direction.

Katara bowed as his feet halted in front of her. “Captain.”

“Kuruk”, he responded, with the slightest shift of his head. “Little early to be turning in, isn’t it? I thought you’d be drinking and bantering with the other men.”

There was something in his tone, something almost accusatory, that Katara desperately wanted to shake off. “Just a bit tired, sir. I’d rather use the time to go over what we learned today in training.”

_‘It’s not a lie… technically.’_

His brows scrunched together slightly and eyes narrowed in his signature, scrutinising fashion, one that Katara had grown accustomed to. “Yes, well, as beneficial as it is to make sure you’re keeping up with the others”, he said pointedly, and Katara clenched a fist, “do I need to stress the importance of team building and comradery in an army troop to you?”

The scoff escaped the waterbender before she could help it. An eyebrow receded into the Captain’s hair, and he crossed his arms. “Is there some joke that I’m missing?”

“Uh”, she started, clearing her throat, “no, sir. It’s just… I don’t really see how much sincere team building can be accomplished while… well, drunk.”

“Of course you don’t”, he replied, voice sharp. Katara bristled at the underlying patronising tone, lips pursing as his hands positioned themselves behind his back.

“I’m not a drinker myself; I’ll partake in the occasional indulgence of a glass of rice wine, yes, but the blasé manner in which those men do?” he waved a hand to the cacophony of voices in the clearing behind her, “I’d rather walk into tiger shark-infested waters covered in fish guts.”

Katara stifled a snort at the slightly melodramatic comment, keeping her face neutral as the Captain continued in his ramble. “However, I realise that those very men in there are going to be the ones who are watching my back, just as I’ll be watching theirs. I can be assured in the fact that they’re under my orders and will have respect for me as their commanding officer, but if you think that you’ve got even a sliver of a chance at surviving this war based on solely on being on the same side… you’re even dumber than I thought.”

The waterbender was struggling to keep her shaking fist lowered by this point, blood boiling as he leaned slightly in, those damned amber eyes flickering like a freshly-kindled fire. She stared fiercely back, and for a moment, held his ferocious gaze, before he took a casual step back. She positively _simmered_ as he recommenced his route, calling out over his shoulder, “You want some advice on how to survive this war, Kuruk? Make some friends.”

 _‘‘Make friends’… pfft, that’s rich coming from_ him _of all people.’_

Katara’s brows furrowed as she watched the dark figure walk off, grey storm cloud brewing and crackling over his head. “What _is_ his issue? Spirits above…”

Taking a deep breath, picturing herself chasing after the Captain with curse words and water whips, she too went on her way back to her reclusive spot. Banlu lifted his head as she approached the tent, ears flicking casually. She smiled softly, reaching out a hand to his muzzle, letting the velvety hair brush against her palm. A quiet chuckle escaped her lips as he butted his nose against her arm, craning to look at her side.

“Sorry Banlu, no treats tonight”, she said, to which he snorted in an indignant matter. She giggled. “We’ll get up early tomorrow for a ride, and go find the _juiciest, sweetest,_ apples this side of Ba Sing Se has to offer, okay? I promise.”

His amber eyes seemed to narrow on her, staring her down for a second until he resumed his eating escapade on the grass. Katara smiled, giving him one last pat on the neck before moving to the tent.

Peeling back the flap, she leaned in, scouting around. “Aang, you in here?”

She paused, raising an eyebrow into her hairline as she deadpanned the lemur-boy who had his cheeks stuffed to the point of resembling a ratmunk. His wide eyes bulged ridiculously out of his head as he froze at her voice. Katara made a face as he then slovenly and inelegantly chewed and swallowed the insane amount of food in his mouth. Clearing his throat with a cough, he then sheepishly turned to her.

“H-hey, Katara… how was training?”

She rolled her eyes, kneeling down and crawling in with a huff.

“Seriously, Aang? I was trying to save those lychees”, she sighed, shaking her head in disapproval at the mess of fruity skin that covered the floor of the tent.

“My bad”, he said, having the decency to look embarrassed. “I just… you know, I was getting bored, and they were right there, and they looked _so_ good, and before I knew it, I was… well… yeah.”

“Right.” She rolled her eyes, plonking down on her backside, cringing at the feel of lychee skin beneath her. She leaned to the side, reaching a hand underneath to pull it out, screwing up her face as she tossed it out the tent flap. Sitting back down, she looked pointedly at Aang.

“Since you’ve managed to eat every single one of my favourite fruits, you can spend tomorrow trying to find some more while I train.”

He smiled timidly. “Yeah, that sounds fair.”

Decisively brushing aside the tinge of annoyance, she nudged the young spirit. “In the meantime, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Aang looked up at her expectantly.

“Pakku was going through some _Tai chi_ today, and he said something to one of the other recruits that I just can’t stop thinking about”, she explained, eyes flashing in excitement. She scooted closer, smile spreading to a full-blown grin. “I’m sneaking out to the lake tonight to try some new bending moves.”

Aang’s expression immediately reflected her own. “Yes! Oh my gosh, this is going to be so much fun! Let’s go now”, he cried, already leaping up and heading toward the flap. He squeaked raucously when Katara grabbed his tail.

“Hold your ostrich horses”, she giggled before sobering up. “I’m going alone.”

Her heart crumpled at the forlorn look on his little face. “Wait, what? Why?”

“Because”, she said, gaze softening, “I need you to cover for me while I’m gone. Distract anyone who gets too close to the tent, keep them busy somehow if someone comes looking for me. Which is, you know, very unlikely.”

A troubled look crossed Aang’s furry face. “Yeah, and what about covering for you out _there?_ I don’t think it’s very safe for you to be out there all on your own.”

“I appreciate the concern, Aang, but I’ll be fine. I can handle myself.”

“What if someone sneaks up, gets the drop on you? What if you get outed as a girl?”

She sighed in exasperation. “I will be _fine_ , alright? I’m sorry, but I need you here.” She paused for a moment. “Plus, Banlu could use the company.”

The lemur gaped at her. “Wha- what about _me_ having company?” he exclaimed with a pout. “Come on, Katara, this isn’t a good idea; you could really easily get caught. Besides, I want to try whatever you’re doing too!

She raised an eyebrow. “Aang… they’re _waterbending_ moves. I don’t think they’d be all that easy to apply to airbending.”

His eyes widened, and he looked away abashedly, mumbling, “Oh… yeah uh… you’re right.”

Katara gave him a sympathetic nod, reaching forward to rub the top of his head affectionately. “Please, Aang”, she said, weaving an alluring, soft tone into her words, big blue eyes blinking at him. “This is something I need to do on my own.”

 “I don’t like this, Katara. It’s so risky… but you’re going no matter what I say, aren’t you?”

It was more a statement rather than a question, and Katara felt a tinge of sympathy for the young, caring, lively spirit. She nodded solemnly.  “I need this.”

Aang gave her one more searching look before sighing in defeat, shaking his head so his ears flopped from side to side. “Okay… but if you’re not back soon, I’m coming to find you, alright?”

Katara smiled so bright and warm at the young Spirit, bringing him into a crushing hug. “Thank you, thank you _so much_ for understanding. Really, I appreciate it more than words can say.”

She felt his tiny, little webbed hands pat gently against her arms, stretching his own to capture as much of her in his embrace as possible. “That’s okay, Katara.” He pulled back, moss-green eyes looking serious. “Just… be careful.”

“I promise”, she replied, smile sincere, before reaching to the side to grab her water skin and towel. With one final wave to Aang and Banlu, she set off, purpose in her stride and a coursing river in her heart.

* * *

In the bleak, blue moonlight, shadows of trees cast over the rippling water, the lake was one of the most incredible sights Katara had ever laid her eyes on. She could see the entirety of the shoreline, yet it still seemed endless, stretching on for all eternity as though it was older than time itself. Her eyes moistened at the sight. Staring out at the great expanse of water before her, Katara felt something she hadn’t felt in months: at peace. At home.

Taking a deep breath, she walked down toward the shoreline, skipping occasionally as the ground slanted unevenly. Reaching the water’s base, she paused, looking at the flowing, gentle waves as they brushed against her shoes. Her nose scrunched up at the uncomfortable soggy feeling as the liquid seeped in.

Without so much as a second thought, she stepped back, reaching down to remove her shoes, then trousers, tunic and belt. She unwrapped the linen from her forearms, then moved to do the same for her sarashi before stopping herself.

‘ _Mm… better not. Just in case.”_

Letting the clothes fall to the side, she reached up and undid the wolf tail bun, relishing in the way the tightness that had accompanied her secured hair vanished, dark chocolate waves flowing once more onto her shoulders. Her head fell back, eyes closed in peace as she ran her fingers through it, sifting through each and every strand. Coming out of her reverie, she lifted a lock, inspecting it closely. She’d need to cut again soon.

A welcoming chill ran up the length of her body as she tentatively stepped into the cool water, lily pads and water lilies brushing up against her bare calves. Her muscles were already loose and warmed up from the strenuous stretching and exercise she’d done that day. Once she was knee-deep, she planted her feet squarely, drawing her hands in a long, slow arch around her body before bringing them together, palms and fingers pressing against the other. She felt the blood flow through her veins, felt the tide against her skin, and reached down into it, jumping into the current and taking it in her control. Taking a deep breath, she began.

At first, it was slow, gentle movements, lunging down to the side as one arm bent while the other drifted away from her body. She smiled as a tentacle of water mirrored the movement. She brought her outstretched foot behind, twirling backward, watching at the water curved around her physique. Her leg continued in its arc until it was straight out behind her, and she switched her hands in a rapid motion, the water rushing forward in a strong torrent. From there, things sped up.

She swung her leg up, switching it with her other in the air and shooting it out with a sharp kick. Her motions came out harder and faster until they just blended into each other as one consecutive movement. After a few minutes, the water was moving at an incredible pace, darting out, slicing through the air, slamming down into the rest of the lake with a loud _splash!_ before returning to Katara’s aid. It was her sword, her spear, her bow and arrow: the weapon that was ingrained into her DNA. The moon shone bright up above, joining hands with her in commanding the tide. Despite being almost completely bare and in a state of vulnerability, she’d never felt more empowered.

Time flew by in a wave of Katara’s adrenaline rush. Maybe twenty minutes had passed, maybe sixty; she didn’t know, and as she wiped sweat and fresh water from her forehead, beaming breathlessly as the powerful waves eased into gentle ebbs, she found she didn’t mind if she’d stayed in that place forever. Bathed in the coolness of the pale moonlight, dark skin and hair cleansed by the crystal-clear water, she let out a peaceful sigh and closed her eyes, relishing in the dreamlike setting.

Reality came crashing back down at the snapping of twigs and snickering behind her. She whipped around, heart in her throat as she saw glimpses of unnatural colour and human movement. Mind shuffling through all her options faster than the thrum of a dragonfly hummingbird’s wings, she turned and dove back into the water, twirling a hand around her as an oxygen bubble encased her head. The reeds shifted and drifted around her as she swam down, and she whirled around to nestle into the sand below. She frowned at the muffled lens of the water, before decisively making a small movement with her index finger. She watched as a small tunnel of air cleared from her bubble to break the surface. As distorted shapes stirred above, she crouched lower toward the lakebed.

“This is bull; I _swear_ I saw him down here”, Jet’s voice grumbled. “Stupid coward probably heard us coming and ran off.”

“Or you just imagined it.”

There was an audible growl. “Shut up, Longshot. I know what I saw.”

“Can we just swim, already? I’ve got grass rash in places I didn’t even know I had.”

“Same.”

A groan. “Fine… _fine_. Spirits, you two are like kids. Literal children.”

The muffled sound of footsteps grew closer, and Katara crouched down and launched herself to the side as two bodies jumped into the depth of the lake. Her eyes widened and she scrambled thickly through the liquid, getting as far away from the thrashing legs and arms as she could.

A sigh brought her attention back up to above. “Not everyone enjoys raging as much as _you_ do, Jet.”

“The Duke, I will literally pin you to a tree and- wait, what’s that?”

Katara shifted as she followed Jet’s morphed figure to the side of the bank. A flash of blue in his hands released a hissed curse from her lips, and she watched, mortified, as he gleefully swung her tunic and pants around.

“Looks like the little Water Boy is here after all”, he chuckled lowly, edging close to the water.

“What’re you… _oh…_ ” The Duke said, ceasing his splashing as he too gravitated his concentration to the tanned man on the shore. “Those are his, aren’t they?”

Jet sniggered. “You better believe it. And _I’m_ betting he can’t have gone far. In fact, my guess is that he’s listening in right now.”

Katara winced as the lean figure made a show of leaping into the water, swinging the clothes like a lasso over his head. Her heart pounded in her chest as his little entourage, excluding an eye-rolling Longshot, flocked to his side in the water, cackling viciously as their eyes roved over the water’s surface.

“Hey _Kuuuuruuuuuk_ ”, he drawled out in a sing-song like manner. Katara’s breath hitched as more of his body appeared submerged within the lake. “Mind if we join you for a midnight swim?”

Her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she scampered to the side, moving with care as not to create ripples above her. She crouched lower, praying to which spirit had shown her mercy over the years that her dark skin blended into the sand beneath her.

“We know you’re in here, Fish Fingers.”

“ _Oooo_ , good one, Pipsqueak.”

“Heh, I try.”

Despite the precarious situation, Katara supressed a groan, letting her head fall back in exasperation. She couldn’t believe she was hiding from these idiots, of all people. Conflicting emotions of embarrassment for them and herself coursed through her beating heart as she maintained her secret location, stalking them like a coiled viperbat. She watched as reeds swayed in the gentle current of the lake, moving tantalisingly around Jet’s tan calves. One tendril in particular curled around his leg and clung for a moment, causing the man to very audibly yelp and spring to the side. Katara snorted.

All movement froze. “Did you hear that?”

Her hand slapped over her hand so fast, the water around her shifted with it. So long, Subtly.

The sniggering turned to a menacing, low chuckle, and Katara watched in horror as tan legs swivelled around and began making their way toward her. Her heart bounced at an alarming rate between her chest and her heart, throwing her into a dizzying state of vertigo. She had to think. Fast.

Longshot’s cool and collected tone spoke up. “Jet, come off it. This is just stupid; _you’re_ the one behaving like a child now. Just stop.”

“Why don’t _you_ shut up before I shove my foot up your aaaa _hhhh what the hell was that?!”_

The water rushed around as Jet scampered sideways, leg muscles tensed and poised.

“What is… what, Jet? What now?” Longshot sighed in boredom.

“Something… something just like… _slithered_ against my leg. And no, it wasn’t a reed, so stop laughing, the Duke!”

Katara smirked as the miniature man chortled raucously.

“Y-you – oh Spirits – you should see your face!”

“ _Not! Funny!”_

Pipsqueak deep voice trembled slightly as he said, “Wait a minute… you guys don’t think it could be the Unagi… do you?”

Katara could practically hear Longshot’s eyeroll. “The Unagi lives off the coast of Kyoshi Island, you uncultured swine. Read a book.”

There was a very unmanly, uncharacteristic squawk followed by a resounding splash as Jet toppled into the war, before bursting out and emerging a spluttering mess. “Holy hog monkey, I don’t care if it’s the Unagi or a damn river-nymph-spirit thing; it’s trying to drown me. Forget it; Water Boy can fend for himself. I’m out.”

“Oooo, is someone a little… chicken? _Baaaaawk bawk bawk bawk baaaaaw-_ ”

_“You wanna go, midget?!”_

“Guys, maybe we should-”

All three in the water gasped, frozen for a split moment before releasing their own comical screams as they were dragged deeper into the lake.

“Nah, nope, _not today, you aquatic asshole!_ ”

There was frantic splashing along with their laboured breaths, as each managed to escape whatever had them in its grasp, crawling onto the shoreline in a flurry of dripping-wet limbs. Katara took the opportunity to swim toward shrubbery-concealed bank, peeping out through the overhanging vines as the boys hurried to get as far from the waters’ edge as possible, panting as they eyed the lake suspiciously. Her lips quirked up in satisfaction as Jet, in particular, struggled to regain composure.

“You got off lucky this time, Water Boy. But the next time we see you… if you’re not lake monster chow yet…”

With that, the three set off at a brisk, uneven pace back to the camp. The man wearing the doulí – _‘At night? Seriously?’_ – took a moment longer to glance around, quietly getting to his feet with a drawn-out sigh, and then set off after the rest of his friends.

Once she was sure they were safely out of ear range, Katara let out a deep breath she’d been holding, relaxing her arms and the giant water tentacles she’d conjured up. The spur-of-the-moment trick had seemed to fulfil its duty in ensuring her safety, and she felt a small tinge of satisfaction that showed on her lips. It felt good to finally give them a taste of their own medicine after _weeks_ of unrelenting, cruel pranks. Even if they had no idea that it was _her_ pulling them.

Her.

She closed her eyes, inhaling slowly as she reassessed the situation that had just unfolded. Oh, Spirits. It could’ve gone wrong in _so_ many more ways than what Jet and his gang had originally intended it for. A cold shiver that had nothing to do with the water ran up down her back as she slumped against the bank of the lake, sinking down in the shallow water.

Pictures of the shocked expressions of their faces, morphing into dangerous, hungry, predatory ones flickered through her mind as she rubbed her temple. Jet getting the other three to hold her down while he had his way with her, followed by the others taking turns before they dragged her back to camp. The mixed looks of disgust and lust from the men; the smug, ugly smile on Pakku’s face as he narrowed his eyes at her down his ridiculously long nose; the fierce, unwavering glare of the Captain that never left her as he brandished his dual Dao swords from behind his back.

She swallowed thickly as a hand gently felt her neck.

Swimming out a short distance to grab her drenched clothes, Katara made her way back up the lakeshore, head low in solemn contemplation. The weeks of drills, conditioning, tactical training and martial arts had become an almost pleasantly familiar routine; challenges and opportunities she’d have only dreamt of back home. But in the back of her mind, always there, always niggling in her conscience, was the underlying fear of her solely kept secret. When someone accidentally elbowed her too sharply in the chest area, or if a throw was aimed at her crotch, or when she had to pray to the Spirits for that one week in particular that her body wouldn’t betray her in the most degrading, embarrassing way possible… at the drop of a coin, her entire world could come crashing down upon her.

She laid the clothes down in front of her, focusing her hands on the moisture within and drawing it out as best she could. Proceeding then to shake her wet hair out, gathering it up and wringing out the droplets that she could, she looked down.

Her once soft, smooth caramel-coloured hands were now encompassed by varying shapes and sizes of callouses, cuts and bumps that trembled when she tried to straighten them. She thought, bittersweetly, that she’d never again have the same, careful hands that stitched the parkas and furs back home.

The walk back toward the camp had given her a calming moment of solitude, her only company being in the form of the night song of different birds, crickets and frogs. Her hand lifted on its own accord toward the wet strands of hair, willing to hold a lock in its nervous grasp. She paused when the feel of it suddenly dropped off way sooner than she’d known it to for years. A sigh escaped her lips.

As she rounded a tree only a few short feet away from her tent, something wrapped around her middle and slapped over her mouth, pulling her in with a stubborn strength beyond her own. She silently struggled and writhed against her attack, heart thundering in her ears. They surely would have heard it too.

Lifting a foot, she stamped down where she prayed their foot was, only to be met by grass. She growled in frustration. She then brought up her arm, tensing as she did so, before ramming it as forcefully as possible. She grinned beneath the attacker’s slipping hand as they groaned, though she was still undeniably trapped around her midsection.

Lip curling into a snarl, she whipped her head around to try and see the perpetrator. “Listen, _jerk_ , I’ve had a really bad night as it is; and frankly, don’t have the patience to deal with this on top of _everyone else’s_ jerkiness right now. Do _not_ test me. Now let. Me. Go.”

“Damn, that actually hurt. Re- _laaaaaax_ , you absolute drama queen.” Katara froze. “Or should I say, Sugar Queen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who's back (back, back) back again  
> *me and toph highfive*
> 
> psssshhhhh y'all thought toph was just getting a cameo at the start and that'd be it, huh?  
> ______________________
> 
> As always, it makes my heart SINGGGGG when i receive reviews, comments, kudos and all that jazz from you guys, so please don't be afraid to keep the love coming UwU
> 
> xx


	9. It's a Small World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all, hope you're all having a lovely week - Im back at school and wanna cry ahhhhh
> 
> thanks so much for all the reviews on the last chapter! im so glad you guys are just excited as I am for you know who's return hehe
> 
> hope you enjoy the chapter! x
> 
> EDIT: special thanks to Cattara for pointing out a mistake I made, its now been fixed x

“So in twenty-three days, we’ll pack up camp and journey to join Colonel Lu Ten and his regiment at the Western Front. I have written to General Iroh, requesting an additional medical unit to accompany us as a precaution. They should arrive in time for us to debrief them before our departure. The medicine cart will be somewhat of a double-edged sword; it _will_ undoubtedly slow us down, but there is guaranteed extra storage space for food and, of course, any of the injured. Any questions?”

“Uh yeah: any room on that cart for blind girls with sore, tired feet?”

A sigh. “That is all. War meeting adjourned.”

Toph softly snickered as she felt the stiff captain drop his shoulders with yet another sigh before a different type of tension seized them back up again. She crossed her arms in smug satisfaction as he neared her.

“I’d _thoroughly_ appreciate if you left the humour _outside_ the tent, _Beifong ***** G _ōngzh_ _ǔ_.”_

Her sightless eyes closed as she waved a dismissive hand. “Ugh, stop with the formalities, Your Hot-Headed Highness. It’s disgusting and makes me wanna barf.”

She felt his blood boil before even the heat from the flame sprung to life. Indifferently, she leaned away as she waited for him to cool down again. Quite literally.

Once he seemed to have gotten his breathing under control again, she raised an eyebrow in his direction. “Ya done?”

“... yes…” he grumbled, though somewhat shamefully. “Sorry… temper… control it… stupid.”

“So eloquent”, she snorted, punching him in the side, eliciting an _oof!_ from him.

“Agh… forget the humour or the stupid nicknames… I’ll never bother you again if you just quit it with the punching.”

“Hmm…” she tapped her lip in consideration before grinning broadly. “Can’t and won’t. Sorry, not sorry.”

She didn’t need vision to know he’d executed the most dramatic eye-roll in history. Always the dramatics with him.

The two walked out the back of the tent, finding their way to a small, quaint narra-wood table with space for a couple of chairs. A hand placed itself on Toph’s back, politely guiding her to her seat. From anyone else, it would have been an act of patronization, but from him, it was simply him showing respect in his own awkward way. She nodded as he took his place, then sat back curiously as his weight shifted down and to the side. As he leaned back up, a wonderfully enticing smell filled her senses, one that reminded her of calmer days by ponds, after she’d finished visiting her illustrious earthbending teachers in the ground below.

“Please tell me that’s-”

“Matcha”, she heard the smile in his voice. “Naturally.”

She chuckled, pausing to allow him to initiate the bow of respect; though silently, she bounced up and down in her seat as she eagerly waited. The warm, ceramic cup was soon placed in her hands, and she took a small sip.

“So, how was it?”

She sat back, drawing the cup away from her lips as she lightly smacked them together. “Mm, not as good as your uncle’s brew, if I’m being honest. Don’t think you whisked it enough. The water to powder ratio is… meh.”

“Not the tea”, he groaned exasperatedly, “I meant the meeting. What’d you think?”

A small, rare kind of smile crossed her face, and she handed the cup back to Zuko, allowing him the moment to take a sip himself. The guy was… _so_ out of whack, it was ridiculous. Everything about him screamed dominance, authority, righteous fury and unbridled power to the naked eye. Toph had never really cared for what was seen, however. She could ‘see’ the set of his shoulders, the ever-present thin line drawn on his mouth and the long, purposeful strides he took with every step he walked how people could view him as this omnipotent force of nature. Yet, she could feel the struggle it took to keep his shoulders that way, the lines that were beginning to form underneath the surface of his young face, the waver in his step: he doubted himself so deeply, to the point where he’d disregarded and supressed his own feelings of insecurities.

For someone who was so bad at lying, he’d become pretty darn good at lying to himself. He was _so_ lucky to have Toph looking out for him.

“Well, as the official Earth Kingdom ambassador to the troops of Ba Sing Se, it is my honour,” she proclaimed with a great air of exaggeration, “Captain Zuko of the 57th United Forces Battalion, to say that you conducted a remarkable and admirable meeting. In doing so, you have ensured the safety of hundreds and thousands of lives. The Earth Kingdom offers you its humble gratitude.”

He snorted, setting the cup down to shove her gently. “You idiot.”

“Hey!” she exclaimed in mock-horror, “I say nice things, which, _may I remind you_ , is incredibly rare for me, and _this_ is the thanks I get?! Unbelievable.”

The two dissolved into a short burst of laughter before Toph raised her eyes up at him again. “But, for real. It was great. You did good, Zuko. I’m proud of you.”

She felt his heart do a tiny little jump in the air, and his body weight shifted ever so slightly as he muttered out a small, almost inaudible ‘thanks’.

_‘Oh, Spirits, he’s doing the deer puppy-dog eyes again, isn’t he. Doesn’t take much to please this kid.’_

Wanting to move away from compliments and all things too touchy-feely, she casually asked, “So, how’re you feeling with all the preparations and whatnot?”

He groaned, passing her the cup once more before there was a small _thud_ on the table, and when he spoke, his voice seemed muffled by clothing and his own arm. “Don’t even get me started. We’re all going to die within ten minutes of being out there.”

She raised her eyebrows over the brim of the cup, steam rising into her face. “That bad, huh? Sounds like you should’ve gotten me in weeks ago.”

“It’s _my_ troop, Toph. _My_ responsibility.”

“Uh oh, do I detect that ‘responsibility’ has the same connotations as ‘honour’?”

He grumbled. “Gimme the tea; you’ve had it long enough.”

Snickering, she passed the cup back into his hands once more, picturing all of his features pinched and fussy. “Alright, Your Royal Grumpiness. Have your precious hot leaf juice.”

“Uncle would cut you out of his will for even thinking that. Also, stop with the nicknames.”

“I’m in Gramps’ will? And no can do.”

“Please, with how much he favourites you? Of course.”

Toph waited tentatively as the small swish of water skimming the cup echoed from across, her hands folded on the table before her. She lifted her head as he took in a breath.

“In all honesty, I really _am_ worried. Four weeks, Toph… _less_ than four weeks and we’re out there.” A small sigh escaped his lips and she felt his weight shift. “Half of these men are still boys; their voices are still breaking, for Agni’s sake. They’re not strong enough yet by any means, and certainly don’t have the stamina or determination to survive out there. I can’t be carrying their collective weight if they have a moment’s hesitation and drop it, and right now, I don’t trust them not to.”

She hummed, casting her sightless gaze down, expression pensive. “And yet, you’re still going to lead them onto the battlefield.”

“Like I have a choice”, he snapped, before speaking in a more hushed tone. “You don’t want to know what’ll happen if we don’t take action.”

“What’d you mean?” she asked, eyes narrowing.

A pause. “Nothing... It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“Drama boy. And you’re certain that… _this_ is the best course of action, Zuko?”

Toph considered remarking on his respiration health as he sighed yet again. “It’s the _only_ course of action. Look… I don’t _want_ to do this, okay? But it’s better than the alternative.”

She leaned back in her chair, earthbending a footrest for herself. “Hey, I get that, and I know that you’re the most knowledgeable person about everything enemy-related”, she said pointedly, noting the way he flinched. “I just have some serious reservations about the logistics of this stupid war.”

“You and me both, but please, elaborate.”

Taking a small, sharp breath, Toph cast her head down and twiddled her thumbs for a moment. “Well, readdressing the big ol’ elephant koi in the room… your troops: they’re small, they’re young, they’re inexperienced, and from what you and Ugly McUptight have told me, they’re kinda spineless and noncommittal. You’re a tough dude, Zuko, and I’m not dismissing that by any means, but this is your _first_ real leadership role in the United Forces Army. And your Uncle has given you one _hell_ of a job; not only in training and managing these kids, but also in leading them to one of the bloodiest, goriest battlefields in this war, which, may I remind you, could potentially be a deciding factor in the outcome. Your room for failure is _miniscule,_ and I’m worried you and all these other men are getting too big for their boots. To be entirely honest with you, I think the lot of you are stupid and I blame there being hardly any women calling the shots, but that’s just my opinion.”

“You need to rationalise if what you’re asking of them and yourself is actually possible. It’s a small-sized battalion, which by itself presents an array of problems, but travelling is going to be a challenge. Less people means less rest time for those rotating through carrying weapons and equipment, and therefore, less able-bodied men on the battlefield. However, you’ll be able to manoeuvre the terrain more easily, realistically speaking. Also, they’re potentially a liability: these are the rejects, the youth and the old. For some, that’s an advantage; whether through experience, or energy, or a relentless desire to prove themselves – which I’m sure you can understand. These misfits, these underdogs, are either gonna wanna fly or fight; it’s your job to harness their instincts and steer them towards wise courage. But above all else, you have to make them a _team_.”

“You can have the most well-prepared, impeccable recruits ever, but if they’re not working together as a team, then Ozai has already won. I’m not gonna lie to you; your chances are slim, unbelievably slim; Spirits know I want to be on the frontline more than anything, but I do _not_ envy you. However, I believe that if you use the tools you have correctly, you can make the most of what you’ve got and turn these recruits into soldiers. But you are going to have to work like all hell to do that, Zuko, and you’re gonna need to start doing that now, and step into the leadership role you have to perform. But so help me, if it comes down to it, I’ll do it for you.”

To say that Toph relished in the dumbfounded silence that followed would be a severe understatement. The smug satisfaction in witnessing people’s reactions to realising they underestimated her would _never_ get old, especially when it was one of her friends.

Zuko coughed, turning it into a chuckle. “Ugly McUptight… that’s… that’s actually kind of funny.”

“Of course it is. I’m hilarious. But _please_ tell me you got other stuff out of my little spiel.”

“Yes, I did”, he said softly, tone taking on a strange quality. “You know, you should be much more involved in this war than you are, Toph. The United Forces could really benefit from your tactical intelligence and strategy.”

“Don’t forget superstar earthbending abilities”, she scoffed, making a _pssh_ sound as she blew her fringe from her face. “Tell me something I don’t know. Or rather, tell my parents what they oughtta know.”

There was another pause before she felt and heard the scrape of the chair legs along the ground, and she turned her head towards Zuko as he brought his seat around the table and closer to her. “Still that bad?”

She waved a hand dismissively. “Eh, they’re alright, as far as parents go. And I know I shouldn’t complain but… I don’t know, I just wish I didn’t have to be as discreet as I was and keep lying to them about how involved I’ve become in the war.”

A large hand was placed over her own, and encompassed it warmly. “Then again, if you tell them, it’s pretty likely they’ll lock you away forever, huh?”

“There’s a pretty fat chance of that”, she chuckled half-humouredly. “They’re just so damn controlling… and they have _no_ idea about any of this. None! They think I’m still visiting the Southern Water Tribe. If they had any clue, I’d be on the first carriage back and would likely never be seen or heard from in civilisation ever again.”

There was a drawn-out sigh that echoed Zuko’s hand as it lifted from her own. She pictured him running it back through his hair at that moment. “I’m sorry, Toph. I wish there was something I could do…”

“Hey, Sparky, you’ve got your own problems to worry about. These are mine”, she emphasized, gesturing from him to herself. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, alright? I’ll figure something out.”

“If you’re sure”, he said, trailing off, but Toph was no longer fully paying attention. There was a vibration in the ground that was undeniably familiar, yet she couldn’t pinpoint where exactly she’d felt it before. The footsteps were melancholic, slow and somewhat aggravated, as though reflecting the person who they belonged to. However, they still had an air of lightness to them, as though they were poised, dignified beyond that of masculine boldness. Almost reminded her of…

“Well,” she announced loudly and suddenly, startling Zuko back as she slapped the table, “thanks for the tea. It was great. I really need to use the ladies’ ahhh… bush, so… I’ll be back… at some point. Don’t wait up for me; I’ll just head back to my tent when I’m done.”

“I uh…” his voice said from below her as she stood, in a somewhat stupefied and very awkward manner. “O… ‘kay? I guess I’ll… see you later. Or something.”

She was already off by the end of his little splutter of words, storming toward the foot patterns she recognised all too well.

* * *

“Damn, that actually hurt. Re- _laaaaaax_ , you absolute drama queen.” Katara froze. “Or should I say, Sugar Queen?”

There was no way. There was absolutely _no. Way._

She struggled against her captor, turning her head to the right as much as she could, gasping as she saw black hair piled in a large bun with a ridiculous fringe that fell upon those telltale pearly eyes.

“I- _Toph?!_ What the ever-loving– _mmph mm mmph mmm phh!_ ”

Her mouth had been slapped and covered by the earthbender’s hand once more, this time more forcefully. “For the love of–  keep quiet, idiot! Or do you _wanna_ blow your cover, Katara?” Toph leaned in close and hissed into her ear.

The use of her real name sobered her up quickly, and she relaxed in Toph’s vicelike grip. Slowly, carefully, she was released, and she whirled around to face her friend.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed back, arms crossing as her brows furrowed. “You’re supposed to be back home, not in the middle of a war! Do your parents know you’re here?”

Toph ‘stared’ at her for a moment, expression loyal in hiding her emotions. Then, she sucked in a deep breath, hands pressed together, finger to finger, palm to palm. “Sweetness, I love you, and I respect you, but are you actually serious right now”, she said matter-of-factly, eyes wide and hands gesturing toward her. “You are literally _the last_ person who should be in an Earth Kingdom training camp, so I’m’a be asking the questions.” A pause. “First being ‘where is the massive mop of hair?’ ‘Cause it certainly wasn’t all in my face when I caught you.”

Katara sighed, rubbing her temple. “Fine… Let’s at least go somewhere private so we’re not overheard.”

* * *

The short walk to Katara’s tent had been oddly silent; though, she supposed it was only natural if Toph’s head was as loud with thought as her own. She kept stealing glances at her younger friend, yet as always, she maintained a perfect poker face, eyes trained on something unforeseeable ahead. Toph had always been more open with her than anyone, and the same applied for Katara. The awkwardness and lack of transparent communication was… eerie, to say the least. She prayed it would all be fine after they talked.

Reaching the small tent, Katara lifted up a flap and stepped to the side. “You’ll need to crawl in.”

Toph was still chillingly silent as she nodded, promptly crouching down onto her hands and knees as she obliged in Katara’s suggestion. Taking a deep breath, the waterbender followed her in after… only to mentally facepalm as she saw Toph freeze in front of a sleepy and bewildered Aang.

“Katara… you know there’s a lemur in your tent right? You been leaving food out or something?”

Aang looked incredibly embarrassed, and Katara was sure that if he’d been a boy, he’d have been beetroot red. “I um… already got to the food… sorry.”

A pause. “It talks.”

If not for her already highly alerted nerves and state of apprehension, Katara may have laughed at the absurdity of the situation. However, what she actually did was push Toph further in and then scramble clumsily into the tent after her. Shaking hands waved frantically to as she urged them to be quiet.

“Toph, please, _please_ don’t freak out. This is Aang, he’s a spirit and my friend, not some random demon animal, so he’s not going to possess you or anything; and yes, he’s a talking flying-lemur, and I know it’s weird, but just stay calm and I’ll explain everything.”

The earthbender slowly and deliberately turned her head, deadpanning as an eyebrow disappeared under her fringe. “Sugar Queen… take a breath. _Breathe._ I’m perfectly calm. You’re the one who needs to not freak out.”

“Me, freak out? I’m not freaking out, _I’m completely calm_!”

The only sound heard in the tent was Katara’s laboured breathing from her heaving chest. Aang and Toph stared wide-eyed at her, then turned to each other with incredulous expressions. The ongoing rowdy cacophony of the drunk-and-still-drinking recruits flowed into her consciousness, forcing her to take a breath she wasn’t aware she’d been holding.

She sank down onto the ground, one hand displaced behind her and the other kneading the heel of its palm to her forehead. “Okay, alright, I’ll tell you everything…” she drawled out in a sigh. “Everything started when the conscription notices arrived…”

The next ten minutes were both excruciatingly mind-numbing and painstakingly embarrassing for the waterbender. Every troublesome moment that had plagued Katara since she’d walked out of her family’s hut seemed to resurface in the form of an ongoing cringe attack. Aang listened in quiet rapture as she recounted the long and arduous journey from the South Pole to Ba Sing Se, despite her subpar storytelling skills and him being present for most of the events. Meanwhile, Toph swung on a reactive pendulum between disbelieving judgement and laughter. Katara turned red and buried her face in her hands as she relayed the day she stumbled into camp. Flashes of her lying pathetically on the ground as she stared up at the annoyingly good-looking Captain zoomed across her mind, and she groaned.

Toph was positively _hysterical_. “Ah, this is just too good!” she wheezed out, rolling around on her back. “Way to make an impression, Sugar Queen.”

Katara shoved her best friend, face aflame as she pouted. “Just… I… Oh shut up, Toph.”

“Ooo, good one. Take you longer to come up with that or ‘Kuruk’?”

She groaned. “Do you want to hear the rest or not?”

Following a few more staggered bursts of laughter, Toph brought herself back under control, and Katara begrudgingly continued. She did her best to keep it as succinct and minimally detailed as possible, only focusing on what she considered to be the most crucial moments. Aang looked horrified and Toph like she was about to go on a rampage as she informed them of tonight’s events, twisting a short lock of hair around her finger.

“And then… I bumped into you. So… that’s it, I guess.”

Both her friends sat still for a moment, in dumbfounded silence, before Toph made a move to get up. “This Jet guy and I are gonna have a little chat.”

“No, Toph”, Katara secured her fingers around the earthbender’s wrist, holding her in place. “Please, he’s not worth it.”

Toph pursed her lips. “It’s not about if he’s worth it, K. I don’t think you understand the gravity of that situation. How much could’ve gone wrong.”

“I don’t?” she exclaimed. “You seriously don’t think I don’t understand how much worse things could’ve turned out? Even though I was the one praying to the Spirits while my heart raced in my chest that he wouldn’t find me in his completely disrespectful prank?”

“It’s not just disrespectful. It’s against the _law._ The Law of War in the United Forces. ‘Intentionally disrespecting or dishonouring a fellow soldier in an unprovoked incident is a punishable offense’”, she said seriously, her pale green eyes focusing on Katara. “I could have him court-martialled for this. You wouldn’t have to worry about him again.” 

Katara blinked wide-eyed before casting her gaze down. Never worry about Jet again. It seemed too good to be true. The brute had been her personal torture device for the past month, causing her little to no sleep and far too many bruises. Not having to look behind her, watching her every step and flinching if he made sudden movements. Actually going back to being positive and hopeful rather than irritable and distrusting. She’d be allowed that piece of her herself back, safely where it belonged.

Yet, something stood up from within her, shook its luscious mane and prowled around with an air of pride. It had been disregarded, belittled and bruised time and time again, and each slash in its side had only made the skin thicker. It wore its scars with dignity.

Katara looked up, steel in her striking blue eyes. “No, he’d only revel in victory or literally come for my guts. I need to see the rest of the training through without showing weakness. I can do this, Toph. You have to believe in me”, she pressed, eyes boring into her best friend with an intensity she needed the blind girl to feel.

When she didn’t say anything, Katara’s breath quickened. “Besides, it’d only give him the satisfaction of me relenting, and the Captain? Spirits, I’d never hear the end of it! He already thinks I’m completely incompetent; this’d only prove to him that he’s been right all along, and I _cannot_ let that happen. No way on earth.”

Toph lifted her head at that, an odd expression on her face as her sightless eyes flicked across Katara, sending a shudder through her. It made her feel weird, as though she was under scrutinised examination, and she leaned back a bit uncertainly, heart picking up. A small, dare she say almost _smug_  smile crossed the earthbender’s lips.

“Uh, what’s happening right now?” Aang asked.

“Oh, nothing, nothing”, Toph said far too nonchalantly following such an intense gaze. “Just thinking about how funny irony is.”

Katara’s narrowed eyes prompted her forward, and she tossed a carefree hand about. “Nah, it’s just that Katara was so generally repulsed by the men back home that she left – I know that’s not the main reason, but you’re lying to yourself if it didn’t help your decision-making in some way – and now she’s disguised as a man in the army, someone has finally gotten under her skin.”

Toph’s smirk only grew as Katara sputtered indignantly, blue eyes blinking. “Are you– so you’re insinuating that– _sweet Tui and La grant me_ strength!” she exclaimed. “It’s not that, okay? Whatever you’re thinking, just stop it. He’s the Captain of my troop; of course I want to impress him! Doesn’t mean I think of him i-in _that_ way!”

A small snort escaped the lighter-skinned girl, and she grinned brightly, her toes curling into the grass and earth below them. “I never said anything about the Captain.”

Katara felt her face heating again as Aang turned to her, eyes wide in wonder. She could only watch as the understanding dawned on his face. “Yeah… You always have this certain… essence to your chi whenever you’ve come back from a training session run by him.”

“No, I don’t!” she exclaimed, eyes glaring down at a sheepishly amused Aang.

“You know what they say about _denial_ …” Toph teased. “And you’re deeply in it.”

“Toph, I will _end_ you.”

“Oh sweetie, you can try.”

Katara’s lips pursed, face scrunching as she got into her friends humoured face. “Maybe I will!”

“Um, guys, this doesn’t really need to be solved by violence, does it?”

The kind, little lemur blinked in surprise as Toph batted him away without turning from Katara. “Pipe down, Twinkle Toes, you’re spoiling the fun.”

His perplexed expression went completely unnoticed by both young women, Toph standing her ground in amusement as Katara riled herself up again. “I’ve been dealing with radical jerks and obtuse idiots who pride themselves on toxic masculinity for the past month; one little fistfight with you is nothing.”

“Oh ho ho, bold words you got there”, the earthbender quipped, “You seem to forget who’s survived fifteen years as a prisoner of their own home and life while everyone treated her as though she couldn’t even lift a pair of chopsticks on her own.”

“Oh, woe is you”, the waterbender scoffed. “Try living in the most hostile environment on the planet, surrounded by misogynistic men and women who let themselves be treated as second-rate citizens.”

Toph was no longer smiling. “Well, you certainly didn’t seem to have a problem with _leaving_ those women to deal with that themselves while you went off to war to play ‘Mr Man.”

“Pot? Kettle, have you met?”

“What I’m doing is very different to you, so don’t even try to compare it.”

“It is? How so? Please enlighten me then.”

“Well, for starters, I haven’t left my own country to come here. I’ve got guards who are protecting me as a travel, sleep, eat, breathe – I’ve only shaken them off for an hour or so tonight. I’m well-respected in my position here as a diplomat and ambassador of my family as a major war benefactor. I know for a fact that I could take on _any_ of these numbskulls here and walk away without a scratch. I’m not crossdressing to do _any_ of this and therefore, there’s no mistaking who I am and that no matter what happens, people will respect me no matter _what_ gender I am!”

The air stilled uncomfortably, Katara staring dumbfounded as the girl opposite her panted, jaw clenching as she sat in silence. Locks of midnight hair had fallen from her normally pristine bun, landing haphazardly onto her face and collecting the small drops of sweat that trickled down it. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she pushed a few strands away, sitting back, resting her hands behind her.

So there it was. Underneath all Toph’s staple bravado and cocky humour, there was an underlying fear. Katara fumbled with her hands while she searched for the right words. “I… I didn’t think you’d be so upset by my choice.”

“That’s exactly the problem, Katara; you _didn’t_ think”, Toph sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’m the one who makes all the reckless mistakes and jumps into situations without really thinking twice. _You_ are supposed to be the one who actually takes a split second and thinks things through; at least kind of assess it before you barrel through willy-nilly. What you’re doing here is… literally insane. Sokka would throw a fit if he saw you right now”, she paused and closed her eyes, inhaling through her nose.

When she opened them again, their blind attention was directed straight into Katara’s. “Look, you know I’m gonna support you no matter what you do, _especially_ if it’s something insane. I just… I just don’t want you getting hurt. I know you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself, and that this is a chance at seeing what your life could be if you’d be born on the other side. Heck, if I was in your shoes, I’d probably have done the same…” she half-joked with a small chuckle. Turning her head away so Katara could only peep at her through thick strands of midnight hair, she spoke in barely a whisper. “You… you’re my sister. I can’t lose you.”

Something warm and slightly anxious fluttered in Katara’s chest. Swallowing thickly, she leaned forward and slowly placed a cautious hand on her friend’s knee. “Toph”, she said softly with a smile, “you _won’t_ lose me. Ever. I’ll be alright – plus, Aang is with me! I’ll make it to the other side of this. That’s a promise, okay?”

She sighed. “Promises are a whole lot harder to keep in a war.”

“I-I know. I know that… which is exactly why I’m making this one.” She lifted a hand to tilt Toph’s chin, bringing her misty glazed eyes to meet her own. “Toph Beifong, I solemnly swear to you that I, Katara Tapakku, will never lose my courage, hope, and strength while this war rages on. I will do everything in my power to see the conflict ended and bring the world back into balance. In turn, you must swear to me that you won’t lose that bright, unshakable spirit of yours, nor your faith in me. And when this is all over, we shall celebrate with a bottle of saké as a couple of self-sufficient, tenacious women who have earned every drop of it… Additionally, I will rub it all in Sokka’s face when this is all over.”

Excruciating seconds ticked by as the only sound was emanating from an uneasy Aang, whose quivering tail was rustling in the dried leaves within the tent. The suspense was thankfully short-lived as a small scoff escaped her lips and she said, “Alright… I swear it. You had me at ‘saké’.”

A grin split Katara’s face as she squealed, pulling the younger girl into a bone-crushing hug. She rocked them back and forth as she fired out thanks and words of adoration, to which Toph simply mumbled unintelligibly – something along the lines of ‘gerroff me’.

After a brief, light-hearted scuffle, the two girls pulled apart and faced each other.  Katara’s own earnest contentment was reflected on Toph’s face, and she found herself reaching for the girl’s hand. “Thank you, Toph. I know this isn’t easy for you, but I need you to know how much I appreciate your support and everything.”

“What kind of best friend would I be if I didn’t give you a thumbs up for every bull-headed idea you had? Don’t mention it… actually do, because I’m awesome”, she remarked, earning an eye roll from Katara and a chuckle from Aang. “Now, quit it with the sentiment. This is giving me major oogies.”

Aang moved delicately to rest his hands on Katara’s thigh, though his eyes lit up. “Does this mean you guys are done fighting now?”

The two burst into laughter as the young lemur-boy quite literally jumped into the air and did a little flip following their synchronised answer. The conversation steered into a lighter direction and the trio shared anecdotes and more in-depth stories of their trials and tribulations. Katara raised an eyebrow at Toph’s animated story of how she came from the South Pole to a military training camp, under the guise of a wealthy beneficiary to the war effort – one who had supposedly been sent by her parents. Aang, with a sparkle of mirth in his eye, unexpectedly quipped back about how Katara was one to talk. The light-hearted bantering continued on into the night before Aang yawned rather loudly.

Katara chuckled as the lemur crawled over toward her makeshift pillowing, curling his tail around himself as he settled down. “He’s got the right idea. Probably best we turn in for the night.”

“Yeah, I could use some shut-eye”, Toph grunted as she stretched her arms above her head. “Besides, you’ll need your beauty sleep if you’re training with _His Most Illustrious_ tomorrow.”

She sighed. “I already told you; it’s not like that. And regardless, he thinks I’m a _guy_ , remember?”

“And?”

“I–” Katara’s mouth fell open. “H-hold on… a-are you saying that he’s… gay?

Toph paused her exit from the tent, turning her head just enough so that Katara could bear witness to the full smirk on her face. “What’s to say he only swings one way?”

“He–  how would you even _know_ that?”

The earthbender, now fully standing outside the tent, crossed her arms and quirked a brow. “Sugar Queen, Sweetness… when will you get it into your head that I know _everything_?” With that, she turned on her heel and raised a hand in farewell. “See ya in the morning, Kuruk.”

Katara stared after her, completely dumbfounded, for a few seconds before shaking her head, chuckling as she crawled back onto her futon, head pulsing with the typhoon of events that had taken place that day.

Was this really her life, or had she been hit over the head somewhere along the way and was now just living out of her own mind’s immersion? The absurdity of it all was incredible and amazed her, how quickly the tides could turn, throwing her into a raging current only to pull her back into still, clear waters once again. A small smile crept onto her face as Aang’s soft, peaceful snores echoed from beside her head, blowing soothing, warm breaths onto her cheek as he dozed off. A gentle wind whistled in the trees and grass reeds outside, and the call of catowls provided an ethereal blanket over her mind. She’d wake up tomorrow, and Jet would be waiting with a new physical or emotional taunt, along with the Captain’s overbearing position as she sweated blood and tears, bent over backwards to prove her worth. It hadn’t been easy before, and it wouldn’t suddenly radically change overnight, but knowing that Toph was there, along with Aang, lessened the weight on her shoulders. Even if by just a bit.

* * *

“Poor form, and not enough snap in the movements. Your reaction time is sloppy; move and think faster. Go again.”

Her legs trembled as she hauled herself up, restricting her own hand from reaching round to shield the welt she could feel forming under her ribs. She blinked rapidly, urging the stinging salt from her blurring eyes as she focused once again on her opponent. Poised, stable and ready, he ran a hand back through his dishevelled tied-back hair before moving back into starting position. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she glanced up. The sun was at an almost 45-degree angle with the horizon, glaring harshly down on everything beneath it. She recalled painfully that she’d been training since dawn, and then personally with the Captain since about halfway between, and looked back down with a sigh. Throughout the week, he’d been taking on all the recruits in a one-on-one spar to receive personal assistance, to test their ability, to prove their worth. Katara’s had been going on double the time of the others. Placing a foot back and her hands up, she waited.

The Captain didn’t waste another second, leaping forward with a double roundhouse aimed at her head. She ducked, throwing her forearm up to block and push it away as she stepped to the side, shifting her weight as she flowed with her downward momentum, crouched and spun, jutting a leg out in a sweeping arc. A smirk spread on her face when she looked up at his surprised expression, watching on as he flailed and tumbled backward. However, the victory was short-lived as he sprung back onto his hands, rounding over to land crouched, like an armadillo lion ready to pounce.

Not wanting to give him another second to prepare, Katara rushed forward, letting out a small grunt as she recoiled a fist, preparing to strike it forward. She inwardly cursed when she realised he pulled out his signature move of twisting on his back while his legs kicked out furiously around him. One clipped her behind the knee, and she felt herself fall forward – _once again_ – grunting as a weight settled on her back and pinned her painfully down.

Realising that he had annoyingly beaten her once again, she tapped a hand, releasing a breath as his hold on her vanished. Shame set in as she watched his shadow standing tall over her in her periphery. Groaning, she shakily pushed herself up on her elbows and rolled to a sitting position.

“Are you tired, Kuruk?”

 _‘Yes. Absolutely, of course, yes. I’ve been training for three hours straight and I can barely see straight.’_ “No… No, I’m fine.”

Even as she began to stand, she still had to squint to look up at his sceptical face, framed in blinding sunlight. “Are you sure about that?”

 _‘No.’_ “Yes.”

“Really? Because you look like you can barely get off the ground right now.”

 _‘Maybe that’s because my legs are literally mush!’_ “No, it’s alright, I’m up now.”

He paused, inhaling deeply, before stepping toward her with his arms crossed in front of him. “How long are you going to _stay_ up, though? You’ve been training for almost five weeks now; even if you can’t restrain me, you should at least be able to land an effective hit and knock me down for a few seconds. At this rate, you wouldn’t last a minute against one of Ozai’s men.”

“But I–”

“I’m not finished”, he butted in, raising a hand. “An army is only as strong as its weakest member, and since the moment you made your _grand entrance_ into camp, that member has been _you_. You’re spineless, lazy, feeble, barely able to hold your own weight up – how can any of the other recruits rely on you to hold theirs if need be? You had better seriously step up your game and put some actual effort in. We have three weeks before we leave, and unless you prove to me in that time that you can be trusted with protecting your own life and others, you’ll be ordered to leave my battalion via dishonourable discharge.”

Katara froze, jaw tensing as she swallowed thickly. His pensive amber eyes glared at her in silent challenge, daring her to say or do anything in retaliation, glinting in the belief that she’d crawl into her shell.

She narrowed her eyes and stood taller, rising to the challenge. Katara was done hiding.

“You’re wrong”, she stated, voice strong and ocean eyes reflecting the storm being shone in them. “You’re wrong and you know it. I try _just_ as hard, if not _harder_  than any of the other men here. I am up training, every morning, well before the sun has risen – meanwhile, others are too busy being hungover to even properly retain the forms we learned.” The Captain’s eyes were staring widely at her now, but she didn’t stop. “I may not be the absolute best, but I certainly have what it takes to be here, and will _never_ stop trying to become better. I am absolutely ready to fight for those in need, and while I can, I will _not_ turn my back on people who need me.”

Suddenly, as she stared down the Captain, a candle lit. “What is it about me…Do I threaten you or something?”

The words left her mouth rebelliously, and she had half a mind to slam her hands over it in an attempt to shove them back in. As she battled with her internal fight-or-flight instincts, she maintained her stance, staring right into those amber eyes that were so widened with shock. The Captain jolted through a double-take, snapping back so fast Katara worried he might get whiplash. “Excuse me?”

She almost laughed at the contrasting tone that the polite words were spoken with. Almost. “I think you heard me the first time.”

“How dare you-”

“That’s it, isn’t it”, she said clearly, though disbelievingly. “You feel threatened by me. I don’t know why, how or for what reason, but there is something about me that makes you feel inferior in some way.”

A fire raged in his eyes, and for a split second, Katara could’ve sworn the sun got a few degrees hotter. “Just who do you think you are?!”

 _‘Like we’ve got time to unpack_ that _.’_ “Why else does it seem that I’m the only one receiving this much scrutiny? Don’t think I haven’t noticed that I seem to be your sole target. You’re being completely unrealistic and biased on some illogical reasoning that I’m somehow lesser than everyone else here. It’s ridiculous and immature and I don’t get it at all.”

“Is your sense of judgement that clouded, or is your ego just that big?” he snarled. “Any criticism you receive is justified, and maybe instead of arguing against it, you should take it in. Maybe then you’d actually see some improvement and I’d lay off.”

Something was coiling and hissing in her stomach. “You’re kidding, right? You’ve got to be joking. The only thing I want to do is improve! I am trying like the whole Spirit World is depending on it. My muscles are constantly aching, my joints are stiff, my bruises have bruises, and yet I _still keep trying_. And I’m getting so much stronger, faster, and better, and you’d only realise that if you took two seconds to actually open your eyes and see it.”

“Enough!” he yelled, chest heaving in unbridled fury. “This act of complete disrespect will be dealt a severe punishment, and then you’ll be packing your things and leaving. That’s my final word.”

“Well, it’s not mine”, she said fiercely, electric blue eyes flashing. “You gave us a chance to prove ourselves to you and the others at the start of all this.”

His hard expression softened in confusion, and his narrow eyes implored her further, and she let out a small sigh. “I’m asking for a second and final chance. If I succeed, not only will I stay in this battalion, but I will be given the same treatment and amount of respect as the other men. If I lose, I’ll leave without another word.”

He paused, brows furrowing as he leaned in. “What’re you saying?”

Planting her feet, taking a deep breath, feeling her blood course through her like a raging fire through a forest, she said, “Captain Zuko… I, Kuruk of the Water Tribe, challenge you to an Agni Kai.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * - title used for chinese female aristocracy
> 
> katara: wtf are u doing here, ur not allowed  
> toph: *inhales* bOI 
> 
> WOOOOWEEEE this one was a doozie.I absolutely loved writing toph and zuko's interaction, they're honestly such an odd funny pair hehe  
> that last scene was a bit hard to write (and oml toph and katara's interaction was like a rollercoaster), but please let me know what you guys thought of it!! <3
> 
> all comments, kudos, and follows are greatly appreciated xx thanks for the ongoing support!


	10. As the Steam Rises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara takes matters into her own hands and forces the tides to change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asdfghjkl I KNOW ITS BEEN TOO LONG IM SO SORRY YALL
> 
> I recently graduated high school so ive been dealing with that, and then I hit writers' block and i lost my laptop and *takes a breath* its been a bit much  
> anyway ENJOY THE CHAPTER - this is gonna be a pivotal moment for Katara. also, zutara crumbs. hehe

_“I challenge you to an Agni Kai.”_

It had been several years since those words had been directed at Zuko, and suffice it to say, he felt as though he’d just been catapulted at full force. Thrown, worlds back, to a time when a young boy had cowered, trembling, at the feet of his towering, unrelenting, _unforgiving_ father. The air stilled and the world halted momentarily, waiting for his baited breath to be released. The Water Tribe boy stood grounded across from him, his shoulders back, chin high and eyes swimming with electricity. Crushing his inner demons way down into his chest, he stepped forward.

“An… Agni Kai…” he prompted, as levelly as possible.

Kuruk didn’t miss a beat. “Yes, sir. Just like what you had us do at the start of training. Single opponent, hand-to-hand combat… no bending.”

“Right… those are some pretty bold conditions you’ve proposed. More so for yourself than me.”

He nodded. “I know, but I stand by them. You win, I’m out: no muss, no fuss. _I_ win, and I stay; no more unjustified judgement directed at me.”

Zuko frowned. “What makes you think you have even a chance of beating me? You haven’t been able to thus far. What’s so different about this time?”

“Because I’m not fighting for myself alone. I’m fighting for the chance to fight for others.”

He let the words sink in, analysing and decrypting them carefully as he studied the recruit’s features. He’d be completely idiotic to not acknowledge that the previously scrawny, soft-looking boy had developed some decent muscle tone, particularly to his arms and legs. His incredibly blue eyes, once shining with uncertainty, now blazed with ferocity and clarity. Whether that faith in his own strength was well-placed, well… Zuko guessed would be determined soon enough.

“You do realise that if I accept your challenge, there’s no turning back.”

His eyes flickered down as the dark-skinned boy’s throat constricted for a second, watching as he swallowed something down into his gut. Yet when he spoke, he did so with resolve. “Yes, sir. I understand.”

He took another step forward, his neck now having to crane slightly down to maintain his steely contact with the Tribesman. He really was quite short.  “The nature of an Agni Kai is for it to be a public event. That would mean that every single man and his dog in this battalion would be watching.”

The clenching of the other’s jaw annoyingly distracted him again, and when he spoke, there was a new, slight tremor to his strong tone. “Y-Yes, I realise that. That doesn’t perturb me any less, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Zuko simply hummed in response, waiting a moment before stepping back, eyes narrowing as he took a deep breath. “Very well… then Kuruk, I accept your challenge to an Agni Kai.” He watched Kuruk’s eyes flutter for a moment before he nodded, the captain then proceeding to walk toward his discarded robe. “In normal Fire Nation customs, the duel would take place at sunrise, as it marks the beginning of a firebender’s renewed strength. However, given how tight the training schedule is already, the only time I can see working would be today at sunset. The day will continue as normal, save for an allocated time of fifteen minutes prior to the duel to warmup. If either of us fails to be at the main clearing within ten minutes of starting time, they will automatically forfeit the Agni Kai, and their opponent will win by default. Sound terms?”

“Yes, sir.”

Shrugging the robe back onto his bare shoulders, he turned to face the recruit once more. “Don’t forget them. Now, Pakku is expecting you back with the others. I suggest you not disappoint him.”

Electricity stuttered between their held gaze, one’s golden amber fire and the other’s steel blue water, contrasting forces of nature that threatened to clash at a moment’s notice. Zuko saw uncertainty in those deep oceanic depths, yet bursting through the surface, and far more noticeable, was courage. Stubborn courage, that refused to shift no matter what was thrust into its path. For a slither of a moment, the Captain entertained the thought that the Agni Kai would commence then and there; both parties seemed as though they were just holding themselves back. 

However, not a few seconds later, and Kuruk’s hands came together in front, and he bowed. “Of course. Thank you for this opportunity.”

“Don’t thank me. I may have very well just agreed to send you home after today. I could probably leave and sign your discharge papers right this second.”

Of all possible reactions, Zuko had _not_ been expecting a smirk. “Guess we’ll find out, won’t we, sir?”

After a moment of stupefied silence, against his better judgement, he scoffed. “Guess we will.” 

* * *

“Aye, Twinkle Toes, have you seen Katara? I need to… what are you doing?”

At the sudden sound of Toph’s voice, the young Spirit, who’d been entertaining himself as an elongated lemur wheel, let out an undignified shriek and went barrelling into the side of the tent. Rubbing his head with a groan, he peered up at the earthbender with sheepish eyes. 

“Oh hey Toph. Yeah, I was just, uh… practicing some airbending moves. Very advanced stuff… eh heh”, he chuckled, scratching his head.

“Yeah, _super_ advanced”, she deadpanned, before sighing and sitting cross-legged opposite him. “Anyway, seen Sugar Queen around?”

“Not since this morning”, he frowned. “Usually she comes back to the tent around lunchtime to check on me and Banlu, but she left to go spar with the Captain at dawn and… well, haven’t seen her since… Do you think she’s okay?”

The blind girl turned her head out the tent, leaning forward to rest her forearms on her knees. “Sparring with the Captain… that explains a lot.”

“It does?”

She sighed. “To me, yeah… I know both of them pretty well, though both in pretty different ways. But I can still safely say that they can both be extremely hard-headed when they wanna be – and that’s coming from me. I reckon something happened and now Katara, and probably Zuko too, are festering in processing through it in their weird, reclusive way. I wouldn’t worry too much, though. While she can be a bit of an over-the-top drama queen when she wants to be, Katara’s tough as steel, and stubborn as a rock; she’ll be fine.”

Aang nodded with a solemn hum before his ears perked and he looked at Toph in bewilderment. “Wait… you _know_ Captain Angrypants?”

She snorted, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips. “Yeah, to my utmost misfortune. He’s a jaded dude; got a hell of a messed up past. It’s made him kind of… weird with people. He doesn’t know how to act around them half the time. I met him just after he got out of a really dark spot, tried to help bring him back to reality.”

Aang struggled to fathom identifying the militant leader as a ‘dude’, but still listened intently as she continued. “I was visiting from Gaoling; managed to stay those first few weeks and help him through the worst of it. I’m not gonna go into details, ‘cause it’s not my place, but there were times when I just sat there thinking ‘man… I can’t even _begin_ to imagine what he’s been through’… there’s stuff I still don’t know about… yet, he’s pushing past it, and doing everything he can to win this war. So yeah, I know he can be a real jerkbender and class A a-hole, but he’s got his reasons. And more importantly, he’s still a good person.”

Aang looked at her with scepticism, pursing his lips. He supposed he could find truth in Toph’s words, that behind his tough exterior, this pessimistic edgelord could really be not only on good terms, but incredibly familiar with the boisterous and sarcastic girl.

Nevertheless, he shrugged, tail coming to curve around him as he positioned himself in a more comfortable position. “So, why were you looking for Katara in the first place?”

Her pearly eyes glinted mischievously, and a wild grin crossed her face. “I might have some dirt on Jet.”

Aang scoffed. “Some of yours fall onto him? _Ow_ , okay sorry!”

 Flexing her fisted hand, she continued. “Trust me; he’s got plenty on his own.”

Aang didn’t condone gossip. He really didn’t; it went against the basic morals of what the monks taught him. He ought to have shut his ears and stop Toph before she could continue into possibly slanderous territory…

This was Jet, though; a literal walking moral ambiguity. Perhaps a plausible exception or an excuse to loosen his own morals temporarily.

He leaned in, full of curiousity. “I’m listening…”

Mirth was written all over Toph’s face as she leapt into the story about how she’d been making the rounds last night, and when she’d walked by Jet’s, close to midnight, she felt the flicker of movement from within. Pausing in her steps, she’d quickly retracted back and listened outside. Mysterious words had been exchanged surreptitiously between the suave man and another voice that Toph hadn’t been able to distinguish, the scent of saké and cactus juice drifting out of the slit of the tent. After only half a minute of snooping, she had quietly smirked and continued forward.

Aang’s jaw practically hit the floor. “W-wait, you don’t think he’s…?”

“I don’t know, Twinkle Toes, but you can bet I’m gonna find out… whatever he meant by that. Whatever business he’s getting himself involved in, he’s trying to be real inconspicuous about it. Whatever deal it is he’s making, he knows he could get into _real_ trouble for it”, she said, eyes gleaming.

“I wanna help…”, Aang piped up. “I _can_ help. I can be like your eye in the sky and keep watch on things he does!”

“…You know what? That’s not a bad idea.”

“Why do you sound surprised? I have _plenty_ of good ideas.”

“Kid, listen, I’ve known you all of three days and I can already tell you’re confused between the definition of a good idea and a crazy one.”

“They’re _fuuuuun_ ; do _you_ understand what that word means?”

“ _Pleeeaaase_ … I invented fun.”

“Really? I’m a little unsure of that.”

“Alright”, Toph jested, raising an eyebrow. “You doubt it? Not for long, scrawny.”

With a wink, Toph crawled out of the tent flap once more, smiling broadly behind her. “Follow me, airbender.”

Blinking, Aang lifted his arms and took to the air, circling just above the other teen’s head. “Where are we going?”

Shooting and recoiling a knife-hand down toward the earth beneath them, she soon answered by twirling the levitated dirt and mud. “To have some _fun_. Duh.”

* * *

Katara’s mind had been racing since her now infamous and well-known fight with the Captain that morning, and as she made her way to get lunch, she felt the stares of every single man she passed. Lifting her chin higher and setting her mouth into a firm line, she walked directly toward where the chef stood with a ladle readily dipped into a pot of wonton soup. Stopping at the foot of it, she let out a small breath, shoulders deflating, and watched as he cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Bit late getting lunch today, aren’t we?”

She laughed sheepishly, picking at a loose thread on her tunic sleeve. “Sorry about that… had a bit on my mind today. Lost track of time, I guess.”

He paused, nodding sympathetically before his eyes crinkled in amusement.

“So… somethin’ tells me that it’s _you_ that everyone’s makin’ the fuss over today, huh?” he said teasingly, but with a soft look in his eye.

Katara sighed, returning the gesture. “What gave it away?”

 “Try not to worry about them, alright, bud? It’s just today’s chitchat; it’ll be somethin’ entirely new tomorrow. Some men love gossip just as much as women do, and latch onto it even more fiercely”, he chuckled, lopping a large portion into her bowl. 

The sexist undertone had Katara’s hackles raising and she tried to swallow her pride. Operative word being ‘tried’. “Except it’s not gossip. It’s true.”

He looked up at her. “Pardon?”

“If you’ve overheard what the men have been talking about, you’ve probably been hearing the truth. That I challenged the Captain to an Agni Kai”, she stated clearly, staring him dead on with a daring look in her eye.

He paused for a moment, blinking. “Huh.”

_‘_ Huh? _What on earth does_ that _mean?_ ’ she thought as he passed the bowl toward her.

“Not the reaction you were expectin’, hm?” he said, smiling at her. He took a breath, bracing his hands on the large pot and leaned against it. “Kid, I heard just about everything, so it’s gonna take more than a lil’ duel to startle me. Here’s a fun fact, actually: my sister met her wife challengin’ her to an Agni Kai. Apparently her boyfriend at the time had been caught cheatin’ on her with this other woman. Afterwards, they came to their senses, realised how stupid they’d been, and how much they themselves actually had in common. The rest is history.”

The story and the implications it held made Katara’s cheeks warm in a way she refused to acknowledge, so she promptly pressed forward with the conversation. “So, you _don’t_ think I’m completely crazy for doing this? Or is everyone else right and I _am_ just digging myself a hole…”

“Oh no, you’re definitely crazy for pickin’ a fight with the Captain”, he replied nonchalantly and Katara flinched. However, a softer expression crossed his face as he then said, “But… everyone’s got their reasons for doing crazy things. Ain’t my place to be judgin’ such things.”

She blinked, momentarily struck by his words, then smiled appreciatively. It was nice to know that someone other than her three secret companions was, at the very least, not scowling at her every movement. The portly cook paused, looking at the soup contemplatively, before indulging in some coriander as garnish. They exchanged a smile, and Katara waved goodbye as she moved to find a place to sit and enjoy her meal. 

Finding a respectable patch of shaded grass, she plonked down, grinning at the food as her ravenous stomach groaned. The groan transitioned toward her throat as she swallowed the juicy, filling soup. sShe was practically foaming at the mouth, chopsticks holding a particularly tantalising dumpling, when the shuffle of feet approaching forced her gaze upward. She blew away hair that had fallen across her eyes with exasperation.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my best bud, and now the talk of the town!”, Jet mused, lopsided smirk beaming down at her.

She deadpanned him. _‘How can a face look that punchable?’_

He grinned in her silence. “Mister Celebrity over here, aren’t you? You gotta be loving all the attention, hm? ‘Water Tribe Midget challenges his C.O. to a duel’. Bet the ladies would just eat that up.”

Moving toward her with a slight, mysterious limp, he invited himself to sit beside her and it took all of Katara’s willpower not to uncap her waterskin and freeze him to the spot. “Whatever reason you’ve decided to _grace me with your presence_ right now, spit it out. I need to get back to training.”

“Tell me; what kind of elephant koi-sized ego have you got to challenge the _Captain_ to an Agni Kai? Are you sure you got the balls for that?” 

His choice of wording had Katara refraining from choking on a wonton, steeling herself into quiet dignity as she laughed hysterically under the surface. Regaining composure, she spared him a glance out of the corner of her eye. “Maybe. Certainly got more than others I know.”

If his dumbstruck facial expression was anything to go by, he clearly hadn’t been expecting smack back from her. The thought made her smirk, though it quickly lessened when his eyes flashed menacingly. “You really got some nerve, huh? Are you really dumb enough to have forgotten the lake already?” he said, leaning in closer to hiss, “I’d be happy to remind you. Maybe give you a more significant memory, just to make sure it sticks this time.”

A chill ran down her spine as she breathed deep and slow, smiling sweetly at him. “How considerate of you, Jet. Maybe the Captain ought to know of your… thoughtful deeds. Perhaps you’d receive some sort of medal for your… dutiful service to the cause.”

“Hah!” he let out a short derisive laugh, though his eyes darted wildly, “you really _are_ a coward. Running off to the Captain at the first sign of _twouble_? Poor baby needs his milk.”

_That_ got on her nerves. Setting her bowl aside, she got to her feet and stared him down impassively. “No, I can deal with your weird antics, personally. I can tell you’re just a messed up guy with some serious identity crisis going on. And I feel sorry for you, in that sense. But if you’re continuing like this with me then I _know_ for a _fact_ that you’re still harassing the others, and that’s where I draw the line.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Tom-Tom”, she said with a glare. “Don’t think I haven’t seen his face this past week after you and your… _Freedom Fighters_ have dragged him off somewhere.”

He sneered. “Why do _you_ care what I do with that firebending brat. It’s nothing his nation hasn’t pulled on the rest of us. I mean, he’s just getting a taste of his own medicine. Or are you forgetting that that’s who we’re tryin’ to fight?”

Katara’s blood was _boiling._

“You absolutely _disgust_ me. You have _no right_ to inflict any kind of punishment on him. He’s just a boy – barely 17, _who isn’t even a firebender,_ and here you are acting all high and mighty when you’re no better than the monster you claim him to be”, she snarled, all previous fear of the tan boy replaced with relentless fury. “In case you forgot, we’re part of the _United Forces_ , Jet. All four nations, working together, to bring down a tyrant. One singular, truly evil man who has a disrupted the peace between all of us.”

“You don’t think I don’t have my own qualms about the Fire Nation? _They killed my mother_ ” she growled out, tears pricking in her eyes. She refused to let them fall. “For Tui’s sake, back when Ozai was still on the throne and ordering all the raids, they _were_ the enemy, and that’s something I’ve struggled with for _years_. But I am _not_ going to let a personal vendetta against a royal family get in the way of ending this war, no matter how hard it is. And I’m _certainly_ not going to take it out on a boy who is fighting to right his nation’s wrongs. Heck, the Captain _himself_ is clearly Fire Nation; but I guess you don’t have the _balls_ to try to intimidate _him,_ now do you? You’re a hypocrite, and a bully, and I’m not going to let you keep getting away with it.”

Something flickered in his eyes, and she saw his Adam’s apple visibly bob before he too stood up, albeit with some difficulty. Her eyes narrowed as he had the _gall_ to chuckle as he swiped dirt off his trousers. “Was that defiant little stance fun? Seemed like you enjoyed the little… vent”, he said, gesturing vaguely to her. “Hope you didn’t expend yourself too much letting all that out. You’ll need all your strength for your little duel this afternoon. I’m keen to see how that turns out, by the way. Very keen, indeed.”

With that he turned and stalked away, waving a flippant hand and ominous grin over his shoulder, and Katara stood rooted, staring furiously after him. Glaring holes into the back of his head, she muttered lowly, “Oh, don’t you worry about my strength.”

She stayed still for another moment, letting her soul scream and run around punching things on the inside before leaning down to pick up her half-full bowl of soup. Straightening back up, she squawked and backpedalled as she came face-to-face – or rather face-to- _chest_ – with a broad, maroon clad tunic. Catching herself from completely losing composure, she aligned herself on her feet and met the Captain’s quizzical gaze. “Sir.”

His eyes stayed pinned on her, darting momentarily to where Jet’s silhouette was now somewhere behind Katara. “What was that about?”

She paused, breath catching as she conflicted with herself. “I— Nothing, sir. Just some low-level discourse.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, lips pursing as he stared after the Earth Kingdom citizen. Katara’s mind went blank and she cast her gaze down. Had he overheard their conversation? How much of it? Spirits, she hadn’t _actually_ planned to go to the Captain about Jet’s behaviour; she’d been trying to devise a subtle, yet significant way to get him back herself. She inwardly cringed.

“Well, sort it out; I don’t want infighting”, he said firmly. “That is… if you’re to stay after the events at sunset.”

_‘Right… prioritise, Katara. You might not even_ be _here to enact your sweet revenge.’_

“Yes, sir”, she replied, taking a deep breath as her brows furrowed. 

Looking back up, her eyes widened as she found his own amber ones fixing on her point-blank. The sudden connection seemed to disrupt him as he jolted back a fraction, eyebrows raising. They stared at each other for a few beats, struck dumb as thoughts failed to formulate. Katara’s nerves fidgeted, her mind so helpfully reminding her of what awaited the two of them a few mere hours away. Coughing slightly, she tore her gaze away.

“Um… so still in the clearing?”

She watched from the corner of her eye as he seemed to struggle for a second before darting his eyes away too. “Y-yes. I’ve already informed Pakku to make sure he finishes _tai chi_ on time. The whole battalion will need to be present, after all, so…”

“So…”

Another awkward silence passed as they kept their gazes averted from each other, mind’s both reeling as they stood baffled at their stunned states.

“Uh, you better get back to training. Lunch is well and truly over.”

“Right! I— of course… See you tonight, Captain.” Why did those words make her face warm?

A beat. “Till later, recruit.”

Her feet practically jumped as she turned around to walk in the direction she’d seen Jet travel, heart practically thumping out of her chest. Seriously, it’d be a wonder if she didn’t suffer some major cardiovascular damage from all the stress these men were putting her through.

_“Men”,_ she muttered, reaching up to fix her wolf tail, blissfully unaware of the way the Captain kept his eyes trained on her, the slightest glint of suspicion flickering in their fiery depths. He studied her a moment longer, gaze narrowing as she turned and exited his line of vision, before taking in a deep breath and walking off as well.

Reaching the clearing and immediately finding Jet’s scornful eye, Katara lifted her head and marched straight toward Pakku, bowing respectfully as his eyebrow twitched.

“What’s your excuse for arriving late and disrupting my training, boy?”

“Sincerest apologies, sir; I… wasn’t minding the sun’s position, and then the Captain wanted to have a word”, she announced, watching in her periphery as Jet’s head turned to face her.

Coiling back up, she suppressed a snort as his eyebrow remained high, almost disappearing into the layers of wrinkled skin on his forehead. “Ah yes… No doubt about this _infamous_ Agni Kai taking place at dusk.”

“Sunset”, she interjected, freezing as his expression hardened. “Uh, sir.”

He stared at her a moment longer before letting out the most exasperated sigh, waving his hand dismissively. “Well, hurry on then, and get into line. Partner up with whoever is free in the back row; we’re running through offense and defence scenarios in sparring.” He lifted his chin and voice as he then addressed the group. “Remember; this is not only a chance for practicing what you know, but to _learn_ from your opponent. Watch their moves, reflect on your own, give one another _helpful_ recommendations afterwards”, he called out, before turning back to Katara to give her a look. “Go on, now.”

Taking his cue, she made her way swiftly to the back, though not before flashing Jet and his group a pointed look. All of them responded in kind, save for Longshot, who just had a mildly disinterested expression on his face. 

Acknowledging the buff-looking man opposite her with a bow, she got into a fighting stance and immediately began analysing her opponent’s details. She hadn’t fought this guy before, and she could see why; he was easily her height and a half, and three times her body weight – most of which was muscle mass. His features were sharp, bold and broad, hardened lines denting his forehead revealing he had a few more years on her. Glancing down, she blanched at the way his excessively huge quads were highlighted through the supposedly loose fitting pants. She darted her gaze back up to his face, and saw how his brown eyes glinted with quiet satisfaction. This guy was a fully loaded weapon and he _knew it._

Getting in a decently effective punch was going to be a challenge, but if she could keep him from hitting her long enough, then perhaps he’d eventually tire enough for her to take him down… Which shouldn’t be _too_ hard, as she couldn’t imagine this mammoth of a man was particularly light on his feet.

He lunged forward, taking a large step before sweeping his leg up in a roundhouse. Katara side-stepped and ducked, shifting her weight at the last second, watching as his eyes widened and he stumbled in his landing. He resituated himself before swerving around with a surprising agility, kicking out with an explosive back-kick. The arch of his foot just clipped the waterbender, winding her as she staggered back, and she gritted her teeth as she prepared to attack. She pushed forward, coming at him with a running front kick while he was busy righting himself to face her. It landed successfully beneath his ribs, if the ‘oof’ that was elicited was of any reliable indication. She continued while she had the chance, thrusting a double jab toward his chest. A pained gasp left on her breath as he blocked both, grabbing her wrist on the last one and pulling her forward. 

She yanked it out, spinning out of the way then, using the momentum, jumped up into a butterfly round and caught his jaw. She landed softly then sprung back as her opponent’s fist came careering round in a hook. When he threw the next punch toward her chest, she blocked and grabbed his wrist in a similar fashion to how he had; though this time, she stepped behind him, his arm twisted and locked, and rounded a powerful kick to his back. The combined force and pressure of the two movements had her opponent wincing as he then fell to the ground, groaning as Katara pounced onto his back, pinning his arm firmly against his shoulder blades. She waited three beats as he squirmed in vain before finally, he conceded and tapped the grass beneath them.

With that, she vaulted off his back, allowing him to roll over and lift himself off the ground, coming to tower over her again. She waited for the scowl to form, or the threatening words, but when she looked up into his face, she did a double take to find a quiet smile on his large mouth.

“You got spunk, kid”, he said with a deep, gravelly voice. “Good job.”

She blinked. “Uh— thanks! You nearly had me there a couple of times, though… Kuruk, by the way.”

“Chit Sang”, he nodded in polite recognition, then crossed his enormous arms. “Seeing as you’re the victor, wanna go first with the pointers?”

Clearing her throat allowed her a moment to gather her thoughts as she considered her opponent. “Well, you don’t need me to tell you that you’re a skilled fighter as is. You seem to be… very aware of your body and your surroundings. However, I noticed you use a lot of kicks and sometimes turn your back. While your kicks are powerful, they leave you more vulnerable and slower to get righted again. You’re pretty agile, considering you’re, uh… bulky, but it _still_ does limit you a bit. All the turns and jumps leave you more off balanced than they would for someone my size. Try to limit the excessive movements and kicks to a more grounded stance… like, uh… an earthbender! Just keep your centre of gravity as level as possible, and utilise those arms and shoulders you got for punches.”

She looked up into his brown eyes and breathed a silent sigh of relief when he pursed his lips and nodded. “Yeah… makes sense. Thanks.”

“And… me?” she asked, raising her brow tentatively.

His enormous hand stroked his stubbly chin. “Hmm… well, you seem to have a pretty good grasp of the basic movements and appropriate reactions. Which is good. One thing I’d say though is that you try to fight like you’re bigger than you are, and that’s gonna be the thing that stops you from winning. You’re tiny, scrawny, and don’t have much meat to you”, he said, adding a chuckle when Katara pouted in protest. 

“Which is fine; that’s just what you’ve got to work with. Use it to your advantage, chum. Sure, you’re small, but that also means you’re quicker, swifter. Turn your greatest weakness into your greatest strength. Use your opponent’s size against them, and go with their punches to take ‘em down. You got what it takes to win the fight, clearly, so you just have to keep your wits about you and fight on your terms, but have your opponent believing it’s on theirs.”

She let the words wash over her, staring at the ground as she nodded seriously. The profound weight of their intended meaning settled within her joints as she thanked him, bowing graciously as they settled for a second round. The hours drones on as the sun began to ominously dip further into the horizon. She’d occasionally glimpse around and catch the captain’s sudden eye as he walked around the camp. They’d engage in a silent battle of will before one of them, usually him, quickly darted their gaze away. Th drills, strength conditioning, and team exercises continued until the baby blue sky faded to a violet sapphire. Katara took a deep breath, chest expanding as one of their combat trainers dismissed them, flexing her fingers as the other recruits dissolved in chatter.

“You heard why we’re finishing early today, right?”

“The Southern boy. Nah, not the Air Temple dude; the skinny Water Tribe kid.”

“I can’t _believe_ he challenged the Captain to an Agni Kai. Is he out his mind?!”

“Spirits, I can’t wait to see this. He’s gonna be _crushed._ Oh shoot, shut up; there he is.”

She marched forward, eyes glued ahead of here as she tried desperately to ignore the weight of their stares on her. She focused on the dull, satisfying ache of her muscles as she passed the unofficial line of spectators. The chatter flowed in a wave as she walked in the direction of her tent, dipping low as she approached and rising in crescendo as she passed. Her skin prickled under the specific stare of Pakku, who raised a deprecating eyebrow at her. She stared determinedly at Banlu as she walked further from the judgemental gazes, gait unfaltering. The docile dragon moose looked at her lackadaisically as she reached a stiff hand up to stroke his nose before turning toward the tent flap.

Crawling over the threshold of privacy, she let out a breath.

“Katara, pardon my harsh tongue, but what the absolute hell are you doing.”

Her gaze shot up and she met Toph’s critical eye, mouth drawn in a stern line. She opened her mouth to speak, but just then, Aang leapt out from behind her, big round eyes full of concern.

“You didn’t, did you? Katara, please tell me you didn’t.”

Her attention flickered between her two friends and she let out a sigh, messy hair falling over her eyes as her head fell forward. “Guess you found out” 

“Uh, _yeah —_ kinda hard not to when it’s all the camp can talk about”, Toph snapped, and Katar took a steadying breath, furrowing her brows as she glanced away.

“I didn’t have a choice.”

“Yeah, I’m calling complete _BULL_ on that.”

“There’s _always_ a choice, Katara. Resorting to unnecessary violence isn’t the answer.”

“Are you — seriously, you guys are treating it like I straight up _assaulted_ him”, she huffed. “It was a respectful challenge to duel an Agni Kai.”

“That’s exactly the point, you idiot. It’s a _freakin’ Angi Kai._ With a pri- with a _professional_. One who has years of experiences on you. I’m all for challenges, but you gotta be realistic. This is literally suicide. What were you thinking?!”

She swung her hard around, glaring daggers at the earthbender. “I was thinking that _you_ would understand. Of all people! This... this guy has been whipping back relentlessly for _weeks_ and I don’t know why! He’s saying I’m weak, that I’m not good enough, that I should just give up before I even try and I _don’t get it._ I train _twice_ as hard as any of the recruits and it shows. For La’s sake; I took down a guy twice my size today! Yet _the almighty Captain_ still sees me as nothing more than dirt under his boots. And I’m sick of it. I can’t take it any longer or I think I’ll explode. I had to do something, something big, or else he’d never view me differently.”

Aang had a surprisingly level of serious resolve in his eyes as he spoke up. “We understand, Katara, but there had to be another way around this. This is so so dangerous. You could get really hurt.”

“I can handle myself, Aang.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Katara” Toph scoffed. “You’ve gotten better, I’ll be the first to say that, but you’re lying through your teeth if you say you stand a chance against the Captain.”

Katara rose to her feet, hunching down after her head bumped with the tent roof. “Don’t you get it? I _have_ to do this. I have to, or I’ll be dishonourably charged anyway. They don’t think I can make it here... and they don’t even know I’m a girl! I have to do this... for me. I need them to see that I’m worthy.”

“You and your pride... This wasn’t the right way”, the blind girl heaved a sigh.

“This isn’t about pride, it’s about injustice! Look, I didnt come here to deal with either of your reprimands. I thought you’d maybe have a little more faith in me and heck, some support, but if I have to go out there with only myself back me up, then so be it. I just thought you’d have a little more faith in me. Guess I was wrong.”

“No, Katara, wait!” Aang’s voice called out behind her, but she was already gone, steaming away with a hardened expression. She’d had shoulders to lean on in the past, and shields to hide behind as she pushed forward, but there was no one this time to hold her hand as she walked toward the clearing. If she was going to go into the fray alone this time, she’d do so with confidence, resolve, and purpose in her stride, weapons armed and readied. She would not go down without a fight, no matter if she was wolf taking on a polar bear dog.

* * *

It was time. The clearing was packed. The Captain hadn’t been lying when he’d said the entire recruitment force would bear witness to their Agni Kai. Upon warming up, Katara had walked onto the duel site and seen just about every face, save for the Captain’s. She’d noticed Jet’s bold and malicious grin, but she quickly swept over it. Toph was, naturally, situated right near Pakku and the other authoritative figures. They’d made brief eye contact, Toph’s footly vision somehow knowing just where to connect their eyes. Milky green and stormy blue hardened at one another before Toph visibly sighed, turning to talk to the tactician. Katara gritted her teeth and moved into position.

As she knelt, her muscles felt like coiled springs; loose and flexible, but ready to jump at a moment’s notice. The white noise conversation around her faded as she focused on her breathing and the thundering of her heart in her ears. Her blood felt liquid fire coursing through her body, igniting her fingertips to her palm as she pushed a fist down into the dirt. She breathed in through her nose and into her diaphragm, letting it out through the count of seven beats.

Suddenly, a gong rang out and echoed around the arena of tents and training equipment, and all chatter ceased. Her eyes snapped open and she rose, breathing out as she reached her full height. She lifted her chin, shrugging off the royal blue robe that rested on her shoulders, and turned. 

A good twenty metres from her stood the Captain, his own maroon robe falling to the ground beside his shirtless physique. Katara was once again reminded to thank Tui that she’d been allowed to remain covered, claiming that it was against the conservative ways of Water Tribe propriety. 

He raised his fists, bending his knees as he shifted his weight. Katara got into her own stance, sliding a leg back and lifting her opened hands, tensed and unmoveable.

Through their locked eye contact, she barely registered the weapons master, Akiro, stepping forward with a scroll in hand. “By the ancient laws of the first firebenders, the dueling parties must both willingly agree to partake in the Agni Kai, drew of manipulation or coercion. Do you both willingly accept the terms of this Agni Kai?”

“Yes, we do”, they said in unison.

“And do you accept the consequences of your possible loss, and understand that there must be a debt paid, by either compensation or life?”

It wouldn’t come to that... would it? “Yes, we do.”

“Very well. If either party chooses to forfeit during the match, or utilises external intervention, the other is made the automatic victor and automatically decides the fate of the loser. Prepare...”

Katara breathed deep, flexing her toes and fingers as she crouched lower to the ground, legs ready to spring. The Captain moved in a similar fashion, expression hardening as he kept his amber eyes directly on her. Everything else fell away, fading into the hazy background as she saw nothing but her opponent, heard nothing but her own heartbeat, and felt nothing but her own body.

“ _Hajime!”_

The air was pure lightning as they charged forward, arms pumping as they grew closer. Katara’s breath was coming out in short sharp bursts, wind whistling past her ears as she approached the Captain. It seemed as though they were going to collide, but at the very last second, her opponent spun on the spot, leaping into the air as he did so and whipping his legs out in fiery determination. Katara was already dropping into a roll, completely missing his attack as she swerved out and up, spinning to face him once more. His brief expression of shock sent a thrilling thrum up her spine, and she stood waiting, prepared and ready for his next move. 

He surged forward, lashing out with roundhouses, back, push and side kicks, each one flowing in from the next. Katara swerved and dipped and jumped, missing each one entirely. He switched tactics, dropping suddenly with a leg sweep. His foot clipped her ankle and she felt herself unbalancing, but she went with the movement, arching her back to spring back on her hands until she was stable once more. He gave a her a harsh, calculating look. She hadn’t thrown a single hit yet.

Katara wasn’t stupid; she knew the immense risk she was taking in duelling the Captain. After her spontaneous challenge, she’d had several moments of self deprecation, beating herself up at her own rash behaviour. But the harsh sting of dealing with it alone had allowed her silent moments of clarity. It had allowed her time to accept her decision and mull over what she was to do.

Clearly, she wasn’t going to beat the Captain using strength, as he obviously had the lion turtle’s share of that. However, his larger and taller physique, while superiorly more powerful, would make him slower, less agile. If she was to take this guy down, she’d have to use his own strength against him. As she’d travelled away from training earlier, and then from her walk to the clearing, she recalled all the different words of wisdom she’d been privy to.

_“Martial Arts should be a fluid motion of effortlessness; not a reckless hit-and-miss.”_

_“Fight on your terms, but have your opponent believing it’s on theirs_.”

_“The best lessons you can learn are ones you teach yourself. Not ones forced upon you by others._

_“Even the hottest, brightest flame can be drowned in the right amount of rain.”_

She’d reflected on how she’d been fighting; trying too hard to mimic Pakku, or the Captain, or even the other recruits. The only way she was going to win was by playing to her strengths and who she was, not anyone else. She’d prayed it would be enough. 

As the fight continued, it became apparent to those watching that this was a different Kuruk fighting to the one they'd had face. Or rather... a more pronounced, definitive one. The presumably short Agni Kai had now been going for a full minute, and neither party seemed to be slowing down. 

Katara continued in her nimble dodges from the Captain precise and purposeful strikes, both beginning to huff as time went on. His hand whizzed around in a knife shape toward the side of her throat, which she quickly blocked with a flick of her wrist. She realised the intended distraction painfully as a knee connected withheld abdomen, and bent over, using the momentum to out of the way. Grimacing through the forming bruise, she knew she’d have to end this soon. _Really_ soon or else she’d be finished. For good.

Another explosive kick was sent her way and it connected sharply with her sternum, throwing her back and painfully to the ground. She barely had time to groan before a weight landed on her middle, and looking up through the black spots dancing across her eyes, she registered the Captain’s hardened scowl. She hissed through gritted teeth, heart racing as she realised he had her wrists pinned above her head, and they were not moving. 

A curse left her lips, and he smirked in response. It didn’t reach his eyes.

“Do you yield, Kuruk?” he said low, his hot breath dancing across her cheeks.

Clenching her jaw, she hissed back, “ _Never.”_

With that, she bunched her legs and thrust her hips skyward, sending the Captain forward over her head with a dumbstruck expression. As he balanced himself on his hands, she lurched up, wrapping her arms tight around his waist. Climbing further up, she shot and draped an arm around his shoulder, using gravity and her own strength to set him off balance. In one swift movement, she flipped them and quickly locked his limbs under hers; thighs crushing his own as she leaned over him, elbow bracing against his collar. A small smirk grew on her face as he shifted and shook to no avail. 

“Seems like I got you trapped, Captain”, she said, somewhat breathlessly and extremely smugly.

She could’ve sworn there was sweaty steam rising off him as he writhed underneath, those amber eyes narrowed dangerously at her. “I wouldn’t be so sure, if I were you.”

“Well it’s a good thing you’re _not_ me” she chuckled lowly, leaning in closer till she could breathe against his ear, “Just who are trying to convince here, sir? Me... or you?”

Spirits, Katara liked to think she could be humble (sometimes), but by the light of the moon, it felt _good_ to throw his own words back in his face. And the look on it multiplied its effect tenfold.

Three beats passed and all Katara could hear was sound of her and the Captain’s laboured breathing, watching as he stared wide eyed up at her. Something danced in those amber eyes, something unrecognisable, and as Katara dared to lean closer, she realised there were actually flecks of gold and brown that made up the striking colours.

Suddenly, the gong rang out again and reality came flooding back in. Katara blinked, clearing her throat as she shuffled off the man she’d pinned, glancing around the clearing. Her fist clenched as she took in the awed expressions around her, some were just in complete disbelief. It was deathly silent.

Feeling her skin prickle with the heat of the gazes, she looked down again and practically jumped. The Captain still had _that_ expression as he stared up at her, wringing his hands. 

After only a brief moment of hesitation, Katara reached out a placating hand to him and offered a small, cautious smile. He looked at her as though she’d spontaneously grown an extra finger, his eyes darting between her outstretched hand and her face. The moment drones on uneasily until Katara started retracting her hand, looking away regretfully.

Fingers connected with fingers, palm to palm, and she whipped her head around. His hand tentatively settled in hers, and an even more tentative upward curve formed on his lip. It could hardly be counted as a smile, but Katara still felt as though the Spirits had just told her that her tribe would be blizzard-free for the next century. She forced the outrageous grin she could feel forming on her face into a satisfied half-smirk.

As she hauled him up, Akiro spoke up once more. “Uh... well, the victor is... Kuruk.”

For a painstakingly slow moment, silence followed. Then, from out of the shadows, a single set of claps rose. With widened eyes, Katara looked toward its source, and a small ‘o’ formed on her lips when she saw who it belonged to.

There, at the back of the crowd, hidden beneath his doulí, was Longshot, his hands clapping in slow succession. His expression was blank, but as they made eye contact, he nodded in her direction. A show of respect.

A few more people joined in, turning to one another before they too began to applaud. It wasn’t overwhelming, and there were still some people shooting judgemental looks in her direction - leading the charge in that was Jet - but nonetheless , it made her chest expand with pride. There were even a few whoops and whistles from the crowd, and Katara beamed as she saw Toph giving her a lopsided grin as she cheered.

She let out a sharp exhale of relief, an easy smile growing on her face as her chest swelled with ecstasy.

“I did it… I actually did it”, she whispered to the wind as her eyes scanned over the crowd.

A throat cleared beside her and she remembered with a jolt that she was still grasping the Captain’s hand. She turned back to him, watching his normally fierce and dark eyes spark with something bright. They shifted downward and she followed his movement, looking at their conjoined hands. She glanced back up at him and hummed in quiet amusement, to which he simply quirked an eyebrow.

“So… are you a man of your word, sir?” she asked with surprising confidence and almost teasingly. Something had shifted slightly between them, and as she watched him scoff lightly, eyebrow still raised, she found she didn’t mind it in the slightest.

He smirked, yet it had some softer tone behind it. “That I am, Kuruk. You proved yourself today… though, I can’t help but wonder where that was in training in past.”

She snorted, cocking her head to the side. “Guess it just needed the right push to get it to surface.”

His eyes flashed, nodding in response before pulling his hand away. He gave her one more nod, and with that, walked off toward his tent. A small breath left Katara’s lips as she watched him pass the other recruits, dismally ignoring their looks and comments. The only people whose existence he dignified was that of Pakku and Toph, whom he sent small nods to. He was certainly… different.

The two people in question then looked in her direction. Pakku appeared… mildly impressed, if that’s what you could call the expression of his slightly pursed lips and raised eyebrow. Toph, on the other hand, moved with as much sophisticated grace as a teen rebel could, bouncing over toward Katara. The grin on the waterbender’s face soon shifted to a pained wince as a fist as hurled into her side.

“Would it _kill_ you to not attack people?” she hissed through hot lump on her obliques.

Toph grinned wildly. “It’s how I show affection, _Kuruk;_  deal with it. You did it… you absolute lunatic, you actually won. Burn this into your memory ‘cause I’ve got a limit on how many times I can say this, but I’m proud. Repeat that to anyone and you’re dead meat, though.”

Maybe it was the leftover adrenaline, or the high she was experiencing from her success, but a laugh bubbled out of her. She rushed a hand to cover her mouth, but it was seemingly useless, as her body was soon wracked uncontrollably by wheezes and giggles. Toph merely rolled her eyes, pointing out how much Katara smelled like a boy and how she needed to fix it before she went anywhere near the dinner.

As they moved toward the tent, Katara turned to the sky, watching as the slither of the waxing crescent moon clawed over the horizon, stars peppering the purple blanket above. A sense of unadulterated joy filled her to the brim, and she bit her lip to stop the smile from breaking her face. The setting sun wrapped a blanket of serenity over the camp, and she breathed deeply into her lungs. It was only uphill from now, and she couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring. After all, it would be a new day.

Unbeknownst to her, a figure lurked in the shadows of the camp tents, watching with narrowed eyes and heightened suspicion. Carefully, they slunk back and disappeared into the night, leaving not a trace of their presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo this was like... 2.5k words larger than most of the other chapters *clown emoji* hefty read, sorry for that fam  
> I was serioussssly debating about chucking in that cliffhanger at the end and I thought 'ya know what? may as well mwahaha' 
> 
> Next Chapter, we're going to see just how everyone has taken 'Kuruk's' win, and what the next step for Zuko's battalion is. 
> 
> As always, I read, appreciate and love all your reviews and kudos. They mean the WORLD, and I will always respond (when I get the chance hehe) xoxox


	11. A New Leaf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has been edited very little due to me having zero impulse control and zero time, feel free to harass me if there're mistakes<3
> 
> also WTF this fic is nearly 6 months old I-- wow thanks for ride so far yall. hope youre enjoying reading just as much as i am writing it :)

It was a new day – in fact, it was exactly twenty days since Katara’s eminent Agni Kai with the Captain, and thus far, she’d been feeling a bit… disgruntled. Perplexed, uncomfortable at the shift, or lack thereof that occurred in her fellow recruits’ attitudes toward her. Of course, there had been a few changes, like Chit Sang waving her over for when they did free sparring, or the knowing twinkle in the cook’s eye when he slipped her an extra half scoop of rice. Haru, one of the Earth Kingdom recruits, had started to acknowledge her, and occasionally sit with her for meals, and her heart had swelled tenfold at the sight of Tom-Tom giving her a small, appreciative smile when she’d subtly blocked Jet’s path toward the small boy.

Yet, speaking of the devil, his attitude had seemed to sharpen for the worse, taking every free moment to send her the dirtiest, most spiteful of glares. If looks could kill, well… she’d have been in the Spirit World two weeks ago. The man hadn’t given her a moment’s rest. The rest of his posse had seemed to back off – she guessed that Longshot had some play in that – but Jet himself was relentless as ever. It seemed he had deemed it his personal mission to be the bane of her existence as long she breathed the same relative air as him. Honestly, the feelings were mutual.

For every narrowed expression he directed at her, she musted the most scornful grimace right back at him. For every measly, half-thought out insult that ruffled her just slightly the wrong way, she turned around and picked at him mercilessly like a lion vulture to flesh. T’was the way of their easy, understandable relationship of utter loathing.

Things could not be more different in that of her… relation to the Captain. He had truly kept his word and backed off with his odd prejudice – something Katara still wished to understand _why it had been there in the first place –_ and had begun to treat her with the respect deserving of a well-trained recruit. Much to his chagrin, Katara had suggested that they keep sparring a few times a week; just to see how many more times she could best him, which she’d added with a small, knowing smirk. They had done so, and soon relaxed into some sort of odd… companionship. They never spoke all that much, save for the light banter that encouraged their adrenaline during their practice duels, but Katara didn’t mind, and she dared to think he didn’t either.

 Aside from their sparring, the pair would nod to one another in passing, and occasionally share glances across the clearing during dinners. Katara, who’d started sitting closer to the other groups of recruits, would be chatting and laughing with Chit Sang, Haru, and whoever else had deemed her worthy of company. She’d lift her eyes mid-chuckle to glance around the twilight-lit clearing, stopping when they found him, sitting beside Toph at their table. She didn’t fully understand what their relationship, and when she’d approached Toph about it in an _extremely_ nonchalant manner, _thank you very much_ , the earthbender had just shrugged her shoulders and said it was professional, arching an eyebrow as she then queried her friend’s questioning. It was at that point that Katara huffed and spluttered as she then stalked off.

She’d watch them as Toph would flick something at the Captain’s bowl, his serious eyes widening in offense, glancing to her with a somewhat endearing pout on his lips. Toph would then visibly snicker, jarring an elbow into his side. He’d wince, rubbing at the sore spot tenderly as his eyes then drifted away, before clandestinely finding Katara’s. They’d lock eye contact for a heartbeat, Katara cocking her head and lips curling in a quiet smile. He’d blink profusely, lips parting just slightly before they too quirked up the smallest fraction, his head nodding dumbly at her before swiftly turning back to Toph. She’d look at him in bemused amusement before turning back to the lively conversation with her new companions.

Other recruits whom she’d scarcely shared more than a word or two with had started paying her more attention to, which she’d expected. What she hadn’t expected was just how much of it was negative. The rolled eyes, the scoffs, the stilted inhales and lifted chins thrown in her direction jolted her heart, leaving her to simmer in confused resentment. She’d approached Toph and Aang about it in a huff one day, wolf tail askew and chest heaving as she ranted to them. The two younger friends had shared a look before Toph caved, heaving a sigh.

“Okay Sweetness, look; I’m gonna tell you something that may be a bit of a bitter pill to swallow, but I need you to listen. Got it?”

Accepting Katara’s stiff ‘fine’, Toph’d continued, making sure to articulate her first words, “Not everyone is gonna like you. No matter what you do, where you go, how seemingly perfect a person you are, there’s always gonna be someone who just can’t click with you. And that’s not a reflection on who you are. It’s a reflection on them.  It’s impossible to win everyone on side, or else war wouldn’t exist. Or stupid aristocratic politics. _Bleh,_ es _pecially_ the last one.”

At Katara’s quizzical pause, the young earthbender waved a dismissive hand. “Rich people things, hunny. Avoid the upper-class like the plague, if you can. They all suck. Anyway, as I was saying… all you can do is the best that you can do. You just gotta accept it’s not gonna be enough for some people.”

Katara had tried to heed Toph’s words, but they didn’t lessen the sting of others’ actions any less. So what if she’d been expecting a bit more of a positive reaction to her victory? She’d won against the Captain, for Tui’s sake! Surely that deserved some due credit. Aang had tried placating her, little webbed hands patting her arm as she aggressively ate her  _soba_ noodles.

“It’s okay, Katara” he’d said, a soft smile on his little mouth. “The monks used to have a saying: ‘To the extent we behave with humility, to that extent good will result.’ You’ve gotten the Captain on side, and you made some friends! You can’t expect a panda lily seed to bloom overnight. Just be happy that there has been an improvement at all.”

She’d grumbled in response, folding her arms in bitter defeat, knowing the little Spirit was right but having too great a sense of pride to admit it. Nonetheless, she did remind herself to be thankful for the positive shifts she had caused, as she now stood by the weapons tent with Haru, engaging in a comfortable conversation with the Earth citizen. He was a more reserved individual, and a stark contrast to Toph in his sensible, polite personality; yet, they both had that same unwavering stubbornness. Katara simultaneously found it admirable and annoying.

“Did you see Rashan stack it during the _Bāguàzhǎng_ exercise this morning?” he asked with a small grin, his soft forest-green eyes not moving from where his rough hands waxed the string of a crossbow.

Katara felt a girlish giggle bubbling in her throat, turning it into a snort. “Yeah, poor guy. He’s going to have bruises for weeks.”

“That’s what you get for not paying attention to where your feet are”, he replied, shrugging.

She hummed in response, glancing back down to the _katana_ in her own calloused, powder-covered hands. Slim, careful fingers wiped a cloth across the paper-thin blade, and she watched as her reflection came into view. It was rare she had the chance to really get a good look at herself these days, and as she stared at the face mirrored back at her, she breathed in deeply.

Her facial features had hardened and sharpened after two months away from the South Pole, her round, heart-shaped face slimming to show more prominent cheekbones and a pronounced jawline. Her lips were as full as ever; slightly less chapped away from the biting Antarctic winds, yet home to a few small cuts on occasion. Ghosts of crease lines appeared on her brow, and her steady ocean blue eyes resembled electric storms more and more each day. Remnants of the girl before remained, but she didn’t quite know yet who this new person was who was emerging. They were harder, tougher, built of something more than the ice they’d grown up on. What that something was, well, she prayed time would tell and let her in on the secret. She let out a sigh.

Quirking an eyebrow, she turned to Haru. “So… three days to go.”

His lip turned up at the corner. “Yeah… three days…” he trailed off, brows furrowing once more.

“How… are you feeling about it?”

“Okay… kind of.”

She placed the _katana_ to the side, allowing herself to completely turn to face him. “You can tell me. I’m not going to judge.”

A pause. Then a sigh. “Honestly, I don’t know. Mixed feelings, I guess? Part of me is excited to get out there, finally, but… mainly, I’m worried… My dad went to fight a few years ago, when Ozai was first starting to expand his empire. He was the one of the first to go, actually. I was so, so proud of him that… I never really stopped to think of the possibilities.”

Katara’s heart was in her throat as she waited for him to continue. “About six months into his campaign, we – my mother and I – received word that he’d been taken as a POW. Mum cried all night, then the day after just… didn’t talk. Went around the house doing chores, just like the day before, completely methodical and devoid of any emotion. We didn’t… we _don’t_ know how Ozai treats his prisoners of war. I… try not to think about it.”

He took a steadying breath. “I want to make my father proud; proud to call me his son. He was the rock of our family, always steady, and sure, and strong. I want to be like him, but… Spirits, I’m scared. I don’t wanna be, but I am, and I can’t stop it. There’s just this underlying fear that I’m gonna head out there and… never see my dad again… never see my mom…”

There was a slight tremble to the young man following his ramble, and Katara reached out a tentative hand across the table. “Haru… it’s _okay_ to be scared. Especially given what you’ve been through. You’re very brave, and I’m so sorry you’ve had to experience all that you have.”

He suddenly took in a sharp breath, inflating his chest as he straightened up. “I’m sorry for that. I shouldn’t’ve burdened you with all that. Don’t worry about it, I’ll be fine.”

“Hey, no, none of that”, she said, a small smile gracing her lips. “It’s not a burden in the slightest; thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. I’m more than happy to be here if you need to vent. After all, problem shared is a problem halved.”

His green eyes met her blue, and after a fleeting moment, he smiled wryly.

“Thank you, Kuruk”, he breathed, shoulders sagging. He then leaned back and raised an eyebrow. “So, how about you? Ready to fight the Fire Nation?”

She let out a stiff chuckle, reaching to pick up the _katana_ once more. “Well, I mean firstly, it’s a small portion of the Fire Nation we’re fighting. It’s not like they’re _all_ bad. Like, come on; all you need to have is one conversation with Chit Sang to know he’s just a gentle giant. And Tom-Tom? Basically, a baby. And, you know… for all intents and purposes, the Captain himself isn’t all that bad. Sure, he’s a bit rough around the edges, but he’s in the war, right? And on our side? That’s got to mean something.”

Haru snorted softly, nodding along as she spoke. “Yeah, no, you’re right. That was wrong of me to compartmentalise them all. Thing of habit, I guess.”

“No, don’t worry, I understand”, she agreed, rubbing at a specific spot on the blade. “I’ve got my own complicated history with the Fire Nation, so believe me when I say that I get it. Sometimes it’s really hard to take my own advice… but, if we’re going to win this war… we need to put aside any personal grievances for the greater good.”

Haru let out a hum as he nodded, his eyes trailing across the long, strong wire of the crossbow. “Wise words… It’s hard to remember sometimes that good can be found anywhere, just as evil can. The world isn’t as black and white as we sometimes like to think it is.”

She flashed him a contemplative smile before resuming her work. “Some wise words there, yourself.”

“You never did answer my question”, he chuckled suddenly.

Letting a breath blow out through her lips, she leaned back. “It’s… I don’t know, maybe I’m… odd to say this, but while I am nervous… I also can’t wait. Life at the South Pole can be mundane, at best. We’d get blizzards, and occasionally a polar bear dog would wander too close to the village, but most of the time, it was hunt, eat, sleep, and repeat. All my life, I’ve dreamed of being able to do something more than what I was destined for back home. War’s scary, but it’s also a little thrilling. It’s an adventure, it’s the opportunity to bring some hope back to the world, the chance at a better tomorrow.”

Haru gave her a rather bemused look, blinking at her in wonder before turning back to his crossbow. “I… suppose so. It also brings a lot of destruction, though.”

She opened her mouth to reply, but in that moment, footsteps came up behind her. “Gentlemen.”

Haru leapt to his feet, bowing to the familiar voice behind her. “Beifong _Gongzhu_.”

Internally rolling her eyes, knowing just how much Toph was enjoying all of this, Katara swivelled around in her seat before she too stood in front of the Earth Kingdom noblewoman. “How may we be of assistance, ma’am?”

Skin prickling as she watched Toph’s barely-concealed smirk dawn on her face, the earthbender waved a flippant hand. “As you were. I’ve come to have a few words with good old Kuruk, here, if you don’t mind, Haru?”

“Not at all, ma’am; I’ll keep tending to the weapon maintenance in his absence.”

“Very well”, she said with a nod, then looked to Katara. “This way, if you will, Kuruk.”

Exchanging one last look with her new friend, she followed her old one around the side of the tent and through the labyrinth of other ones until they arrived sound at the threshold of Toph’s. The younger girl lifted the flap opening, and Katara muttered a small thank-you as she stepped inside the large room.

She snorted indifferently as she took in the various rocks scattered all over the place, some resembling chairs and tables, whilst others took semblance of shattered pottery. There was a small pile of clothes in one corner that the waterbender didn’t dare go near, steeling her nostrils just in case she got an unpleasant whiff of their contents. She grumbled at the state of Toph’s upturned and shameful excuse of a messy futon. Heaving a sigh, she turned to face her friend, hands on hips.

“Your tent’s a disgrace, you know that, right? Really, you ought to take more pride in your belongings. How you find anything in this mess is beyond me.”

Toph rolled her eyes, removing her outer robe as she stepped toward Katara. “Okay, _Mom_ ; observation noted. Believe it or not, I didn’t invite you into my tent so you could tell me to clean my room.”

Katara huffed. “Okay, then why did you? What’s up?”

Something shifted in the young earthbender, and she bended a rock chair toward her and shifted one out of the ground for her companion, gesturing for her to sit. Brows furrowing, Katara accepted, lowering herself gingerly onto the seat as she considered her friend with concern. She watched on as Toph kneaded her fingertips against her temple, rubbing in small, circular motions.

“Long story short; Pakku is an ancient asshat who belongs in a world that existed two hundred years ago, and I want to pellet him with rock projectiles.” 

Katara snorted. “If you need a watery hand in that, just let me know. What’s he done this time?”

Toph’s head rolled back as she flopped dramatically in her chair, legs spread in a very unladylike manner. “Besides existing?” She looked up for moment, pointing a finger as she said, “You’re gonna love this.”

Falling back down, she continued. “He was making some point to me and the rest of the leaders when I offered some advice in what I could do once we were on the road. Get this; the shrivelled prune has the audacity to turn around and laugh at me. Laugh! Said some really misogynistic things that had me ready to send him to his overdue grave, but you know… you know what the sesame seeds on the rice was? He told me I wasn’t coming; said that war wasn’t a place for a _little girl_ , much less one who was blind. I called him crazy, and he said he’d sent a scroll to my parents to let them know that I’d be coming home soon… and where I was returning from.”

“Yeah, I know right?” she grumbled as Katara winced. “Can’t _wait_ to be stuck back in that horrible, over-excessive estate… I stormed out of there after that so I didn’t punch a hole into the table. Had half a mind to put one through Pakku’s face, too.”

Katara inhaled deeply into her lungs, processing the information and looking down at her hands as she wrung them. “You’re… leaving now, aren’t you?”

A sigh came from across her. “It’s not like I have many more options. I’ve managed to evade my parents for a good two months; I was gonna have to go home sooner or later. Just wish it’d been later.”

The pause in speech prompted Katara’s eyes up, and her chest ached at the pensive expression on the young girl’s face. Stress was etched into the thin premature lines on her brow, and the ghost of dark shadows formed underneath her milky green eyes.

“Anyway”, her friend sighed, sitting herself back up, drawing her legs close, “just thought I’d let you know. I’ll be packing tomorrow and will leave the day you lot do. I won’t really have the chance to say goodbye to you in a way that isn’t gonna be suspicious other than now, so…” she trailed off as she turned to the side, scratching her arm absentmindedly.

A rising chill wrapped itself around Katara as she gazed upon her friend. Toph’s arrival at camp, while unexpected, had been like a warm front drifting across her polar home. She’d grown accustomed to her presence over the past weeks, a solitary piece from her life before providing her with some solace in an environment so unfamiliar. Aang was a treasure, Banlu was unlike any other, the other soldiers were slowly working their way into her heart, but Toph… Toph was irreplaceable. Toph was, quite literally, her rock. They had the issue of taking each other for granted for too often, but frankly, they couldn’t exist without one another.

Even when Toph had been worlds away in Gaoling, while Katara had been safe in her home of the Water Tribe, they’d kept up correspondence; not going less than three weeks without a letter from each other. Toph leaving now, while Katara was in such an unfamiliar setting and about to be constantly on the move… there’d be no way to ensure Toph’s letters would find her. This was truly goodbye for the best friends, the first one in three years. She didn’t know when, didn’t know _if_ they’d see each other again, and Katara didn’t know how to process that.

Not knowing what else to do, she leapt from her chair and flung her arms around the girl’s smaller frame, clutching to her tightly. “Thank you… thank you for everything.”

She felt her tense briefly, before slim, hesitant arms came to wrap themselves around her, too. “I… you have nothing to thank me for, Katara.”

“No”, she sniffled, fisting part of her friend’s kimono in her vice-like grip, “I do. I-I don’t know how I would made it through these past weeks without you. And I’m sorry if I ever made you feel less than appreciated, because I do. I appreciate you _so_ much. I know I can be stubborn, and short-tempered, and reckless, but thank you for believing in me no matter what.”

A small, calloused hand rubbed circles on her back, and she felt Toph’s breath stutter. “Y-you forgot stupid… but, it’s okay… you’re gonna be okay. You’ve got this.”

“I don’t know if do. I-I don’t know if I can do this without you.”

She felt hands gently push her back, and she found herself staring into Toph’s fierce, watery, milky eyes. “You listen to me _very carefully,_ okay? You can _absolutely_ do this. You are easily one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. You were the one to inspire me to start taking some risks in my stupidly boring life. _You_ were the one who showed me that there was more to life than what people had given me. And you know what else?”

“Guess who took her father’s place in the war to protect him, even though it meant endangering herself in countless ways? You. Guess who stowed away on a ship for two weeks and travelled half way around the world? Y _ou_. Guess who trekked across the Earth Kingdom with nothing but an ostrich horse and Spirit fetus? Oh yeah, y _ou._ Oh, and guess who dealt with a gang, an old fart, and a fiery captain, who, by the way, she challenged to a duel and _won_? That’s right, _you. You_ did, Katara. That was _all you._ And if I ever hear you doubt yourself again, I will literally storm over and hit you with a rock until you gain some sense. Got it?”

Blinking away the gathering moisture in her eyes, Katara stared at her friend. It sometimes escaped her mind that Toph really was only fifteen years old; barely a young woman. While her humour could be… questionable and her self esteem shooting excessively through the roof, she possessed a certain worldly wisdom that could only be gained by pushing the boundaries and limits of what she knew. Her strength went beyond that of physical and of her bending, rooting itself deep within her chest and gut. That was the thing about Katara admired her so fervently for; her undeniable resilience.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled wanly. “Okay. You’ve got to promise you’re not gonna cave under your parents, no matter what they do. Keep being the amazing, strong, young woman we both know you are. You got _that_?”

Toph scoffed lightly. “ _Puh-lease_ , if anyone’s gonna cave, it’s gonna be those two suckers. They don’t know how to handle me. They’ll probably have a midlife crisis two minutes into having me home.”

The two burst into laughter, clutching at their stomachs as they doubled over in wheezes. They let it erode at the dark seriousness of the conversation, leaving their shoulders lighter and more at ease.

Sighing in bittersweet acceptance, Katara looked to her friend, placing a hand on her petite shoulder. “I’m really going to miss you, Toph.”

“Me too, Sugar Queen. And hey; you die out there, and I’m gonna kill you, kapeesh?”

Katara’s bark of laughter at the half-serious statement rang out into the humid air, catching onto the moisture that hung in it and lifted it up to the clouds above.

* * *

The sun was cresting over the horizon, and Katara, for once, was truly wide awake on her own. She’d been up since the midnight sky had first turned a blood red, stars and moon still hanging in the sky. Her skin prickled in anticipation, heart racing at unholy speeds as she stared up at the tent canopy. Aang slept soundly by her head, tail curled around his little frame in a state of blissful innocence. She let out a silent sigh through her nose, glancing over to where she’d finished packing her belongings, including her father’s freshly sharpened sword. Today was the day.

Nimbly shimmying out of the futon, she crawled toward the tent flap and shuffled out of it with stealth of a polar leopard. Goosebumps danced across her skin at the cool, early morning breeze that also sent gentle waves into her short hair. She’d slept with it out, relishing in the release of tightness on her scalp that she’d grown uncomfortably adjusted to. Running slight fingers through it, she moved forward.

“Hey Banlu”, she whispered, approaching the dragon moose with quiet tongue clicks. He raised his head, his large ears flicking toward her. Reaching him, she offered a flattened hand, watching on as he blew softly onto it, velvety muzzle brushing against her palm. A quiet smile dawned on her face.

“What say we get in one last morning ride, huh? Maybe find some more cherry apples in that forest.” The creature looked up at her with soft, round eyes, starlight catching in the amber hues, making them glow. Katara let out a small amused breath, reaching up to brush the umber forelock from his eyes.

Within a few minutes, her stead was tacked up, shaking his mane as he waited patiently for Katara to hoist herself into the saddle. Gathering up the reins, she clicked him forward and they set off.  Waiting intrepidly until they were out of the camp, Katara suddenly grinned and dug her heels in, sending Banlu off like cheetah rabbit. Wind whistled past her ears and bit at her smiling cheeks, eyes watering from the full force of it all. She rose out of the saddle, letting the dragon moose stretch out his stiff legs to the mass as they galloped through the forest. As the thicket became tighter, she slowed him, but retained all the euphoria from their hoon as they weaved through the trees, letting out a gleeful whoop when they came across logs to jump.

Fairly short after, she felt a tell-tale lag develop in the old beast’s gait, and with a gentle pull of the reins and a steady ‘wo-o-oah’, she brought them back to a walk. They meandered through the forest, blue jays and sparrowkeets whistling in the branches above. Trusting her stead’s own mind and feet, she closed her eyes, breathing in the greenery, the untainted soil, morning dew dappled in the grass beneath, and feeling the blooming cherry blossoms on the wind. A hum of contentment vibrated in her throat.

Placing the reins in one hand, Katara lifted the other out to the side, open and wide and inviting to whatever it came in contact with. Smiling through closed eyes, her senses roamed, feeling blindly for her element in the great expanse of everything around her. The dew began to rise and droplets grouped together, forming paths of water that trailed through the air. She bit her lip in quiet cheek as fingers moved experimentally, and she felt the water dance in adagios and crescendos, moving like an exotic dancer or a child with a kite. She felt Banlu shift beneath; he’d picked a path towards something entirely unknown to her. A laugh bubbled from her mouth as she just went with it.

After a while, the dragon moose came to halt and Katara felt his neck crane upwards. With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and let the water seep into the earth below. A cluster of cherry apple trees lay before them, and Banlu’s harvest was already well underway, teetering his attention between all the different fruits on the tree’s bountiful branches. The sweet aroma flooded her senses and she leaned forward in the saddle toward a particularly pink fruit. She plucked it with a small snap, sitting back in the saddle as she looked at blush-coloured apple.

Who knew when she’d have the opportunity to experience a morning like this again? Certainly not anywhere in the foreseeable future, she thought with a raise of her brows as her teeth sunk in with a juicy crunch. She’d seen the various assortments of meats and vegetables being salted and pickled and soaked in soy sauce to ensure preservation. Water had been loaded in barrels and then onto carts the day prior, covering up the plethora of _sake_ bottles behind them. The Captain had warned them all that it was going to be a harrowing and taxing experience to trek across the Earth Kingdom, and that they would need to be fully there in mind, body and spirit if they were going to last. Katara felt the air heat and humidify around her as the sun climbed higher over the horizon.

She heaved a sigh, reaching down to stroke Banlu’s neck affectionately. As one of the few animals at camp who’d be able to pull a cart, Banlu was set to drag the weapons from one side of the country to the other. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought of the arthritis she’d felt creeping up on the old creature’s joints when she’d practicing the healing aspects of her bending the other day. He’d need ample rest along the trip, or she feared his poor legs would give out and she’d be forced to put him out of his misery.

Taking a deep breath, she tossed her apple core into the ether beyond and gathered up the reins. “Alright buddy, time to head back, don’t you reckon? I need to give you some physio before we leave.”

The dragon moose snorted in response, shaking his handsome head, ears flopping from side to side. Katara smiled, and wheeled him back toward the camp.

As they neared her tent, a familiar figure manifested on the horizon. For a panicked moment, Katara fumbled to clarify that she had, in fact, bound her chest, releasing a small shaky breath of relief when she felt it was. Letting her heartrate drop back to definitive beats, she let a small smile show.

“Good morning, sir”, she said, dropping her head in a nod toward the man below her.

“And to you, Kuruk”, he said politely; though with a certain, undefined stiffness. “You, uh… Out for an early morning ride, then?”

“Just coming back now; thought I’d squeeze one last one in before we upend the camp and move out. I’m not usually a morning person, but it was too nice a dawn to miss.”

A soft smile played on his lips as he nodded appreciatively. “Sunrise has always been my favourite time of day.”

His eyes widened and froze, like a child caught with his hand in a fortune cookie jar, and his posture straightened. Clearing his throat in the most subtle of ways, he continued. “I-Is your dragon moose going to be fit enough the pull the weapons cart?”

Katara blinked. “Oh. Banlu? I… look, I’ll be transparent with you; he is an older boy and I think he’s starting to have some problems with arthritis, but he’s strong, persistent. As long as I keep his hooves trimmed and his weight steady, he’ll be alright. I’ll make sure to keep monitoring him, however, and let you know if anything changes.”

“I’d appreciate that, thank you”, he said, Adam’s apple bobbing. Katara watched on, both bemused and amused as he scratched the back of his neck. “Also… I appreciate you offering him for service… especially after how I was… I-I thought you weren’t… the way in which I treated you… was just being immature a-and unprofessional… man-to-man, I just… I – ugh, I’m not very good at these…”

His eyes shot up as a small chuckle surfaced from Katara, his unscarred one widening impossibly large. Stifling her little outburst, she flashed him a grin. “Captain… it’s okay, I accept what I _assume_ is your apology. I can’t imagine there weren’t times when I was being particularly graceful, either, and you _are_ trying to manage a solid number of us. So, don’t worry about it; it’s water under the bridge. Honestly.”

The look he gave her was so bright and so full of something akin to disbelieving wonder that Katara felt uncomfortable looking at him for too long. When he spoke next, some of the raw emotion on his face translated into his words. “Thank you, Kuruk… your forgiveness means more to me than words can say.”

Katara found herself wanting to correct him – say that it was Katara, not Kuruk – but instead, she offered a lopsided smile. “Well, thank _you_ for moving on from whatever it is you had against me. Sparring with you is a whole lot more enjoyable when I don’t feel like you’re _actually_ wanting to maim me.”

She snorted at his look of utter horror, mouth shutting and muttering and stuttering unintelligibly. “It’s a joke. Maybe… not a good one but… yeah, I didn’t _really_ think that”, she said placatingly, vaulting from the saddle to stand in front of him, their visual line of gradient flipping as he stared down at her.

“R-right, of course. A joke. Ha ha.”

Katara desperately wanted to laugh off the awkward turn that their conversation had taken, settling for reaching a tentative hand across to pat the curve of his shoulder. Wow… he was warm. “But seriously… thank you. Just… yeah. Thank you… Anyway, um, I should take Banlu back and get ready for the day. Pretty big one, huh?”

He swallowed, eyes flicking to where her hand had been just a few seconds before. “Yeah… biggest.”

With a stilted nod, Katara brought the reins over her dragon moose’s head, clicking her tongue as they set off from the Captain. She grappled with the urge to swivel her head for one last look, but continued marching forward.

“And, Kuruk?”

She did a one-eighty, thick, untied hair whipping across her face as she laid eyes on the Captain once more. He stood watching her, chest and chin raised in his usual authoritative demeanour, amber eyes strong once more, though not as hard.

“I enjoy the sparring, too.”

Her lip curled into a half smile, and with one last nod, she turned around once more, stepping lightly as the sun crested the horizon before her.

* * *

Zuko felt like he was on the verge of shaking the bones out of his body. His eyes kept darting over to where Pakku stood; the old tribesman was pulling his long, alabaster hair into some traditional Northern style, dusting off his navy tunic and picking off the non-existent flecks of lint. His piercing ice-blue eyes shot up to meet his own, and Zuko abruptly turned away, focusing on his fumbling fingers as they locked the plates of armour onto his shoulders.

He zeroed in on the buckles and straps as his mind disobediently played their recent altercation for the umpteenth time.

_“You need more time.”_

_“No, I don’t. My troops have been training hard for the last two months and I’m not going to spend another moment wasting here while our presence is required out there. We’re sticking to the schedule.”_

_“Ha! If you stick to the schedule,_ boy _, you’ll wind up sending all your ‘men’ to an early grave. Your uncle is foolish thinking that you’re ready for your command.”_

 _Zuko snarled. “My uncle is the wisest person alive I know, and if he thinks I’m ready, then I trust his judgement. My men, my_ soldiers _, have not only met the requirements needed to be military-ready, but have gone above and beyond. If you want to call someone foolish, why don’t you take a good, hard look in the mirror?”_

 _“Why don’t_ you _?”_

_Something shattered in Zuko’s stomach, and he stopped short to stare dumbly at the waterbender. The skin around his left eye simmered in agonising memory, and his fingers flexed upward. His jaw clenched, and he focused on steadying his breath._

_Taking his silence as response, Pakku continued mercilessly. “I honestly don’t know what Iroh was thinking putting Ozai’s own offspring in charge of a battalion. It’s a mockery of all the good men fighting for their freedom, to have their enemy’s son leading them into battle, and_ they don’t even know it _. Completely despicable dishonesty.”_

 _“Tell me; how do you think you’re going to be received when they find out just who exactly you are? Because they will, at one point or another. It’s inevitable. Do you think they’ll give you a pat on the back for their women being raped? Do you think they’ll toast_ sake _in your honour for all the children who’d been orphaned? Do you really think they’ll put their lives at stake for the son of the man who committed genocide against an entire people… Count your blessings, because you certainly have more than you deserve, and it will not last. Mark my words: the world requires balance, and it_ will _eventually tip out of your favour.”_

The air was so hot, too thick, too musty, and without a second glance, he darted out of the tent, grabbing his remaining garments as he crossed over the threshold. His chest felt constricted as he darted past several men, their gazes sticking to his back in the humid, mid-morning air. His feet surged forward, carrying him blindly to his own tent, automatically shutting the flap as his gaze narrowed on the small mirror he possessed. He gripped the chair before it with quiet desperation as he squeezed his eyes shut, his unkempt hair falling forward as he curled in on himself.

_‘Remember what Uncle said. Breathe, just breathe. It’ll pass.’_

Fire.

_‘You’re not there anymore. You’re just outside Ba Sing Se; miles away from the Fire Nation and miles away from him. He can’t get to you here.’_

Fear.

_‘You are stronger than this. You are stronger than you were then. You are unbreakable.’_

White, hot, searing pain.

Betrayal.

_‘Agni, I can’t do this.’_

“I can’t do this.”

“I call bull; you can absolutely do this.”

His eyes opened and through a faint mist, he saw Toph standing in her green kimono at the entrance of his tent, arms crossed and brows furrowed. His breath shuttered. “N-no... no, I can’t.”

Light as air on her feet, the earthbender crossed the space nimbly and gripped him by the arms, whirling him around to face her. Her expression was ferocious. “Listen to me very carefully right now, Zuko. Like, I need your full undivided attention. Don’t let your head mess with you and focus on me for a minute. Can you do that?”

Taking a few sporadic breaths, he looked at her and nodded, albeit in a shaky manner. Her lips tightened in a thin line, then she raised a finger, twirling it around in a spinning motion. Zuko complied obediently, lowering himself down as he turned his back to her. Direct and precise fingers combed through his hair along with the brush he’d had resting on a small stool, pulling it back and tight against his scalp. His rapid-fire heartrate began to level once more as he focused on the soothing feeling on his head and his own breathing. His eyes fluttered close at the distant, foggy memory surfacing on his mind. Slender, nimble fingers drifting absentmindedly through his long, soft hair, an ethereal voice singing some long-forgotten melody, the feeling of complete serenity and safety. Warmth.

“Know what you’re going to say?” Toph asked from behind him, pulling him back from his thoughts.

He heaved a sigh. “Yeah… I’ve been practicing for days. I don’t know if it’s any good though”, he muttered, then winced as his head jerked back with a particularly strong tug. “Uh, _ow?_ ”

“Sorry, Princess Zuko”, she replied, smirk blatantly evident in her voice. There was a pause before she spoke up again. “That’s good… what you say is gonna be crucial. Pivotal, even. Like… there may be some people who wanna walk away after you’re done.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“I’m not finished... While there _may, possibly_ , be _some_ people who walk away, most are gonna rally behind you. You know these guys, you’ve been training them for two months; they look up to you. You’re their leader, they trust you to make the right call. And you’ve got good instincts and a good heart; as long as you listen to your gut, you’ll always see to it that you choose the best choice for them. This is your moment to show to them, tell them that while yeah, war is scary business and there’s no room to pussyfoot around, they’ve got a reason to trust they’ll be alright. Pakku is gonna keep being Pakku, but you have _got_ to block him out, alright? He's already made up his mind about you and at his age, there's no changing it. Your soldiers, however, are much more open-minded and optimistic. You’ve got this, man. I believe in you, and so do they.”

She finished securing his topknot ribbon with one last shuck, and he leaned back around to look up at her. Her eyes were just off from his actual positioning, but they were full of sincerity and rock-solid trust. With a deep breath, he allowed a small smile on his face, for just this one time. “Maybe _you_ should be giving the motivational speech. You’re not too bad at it, surprisingly.”

 “You better watch it, Sparky.” He flinched away cheekily from her smack, though her eyes glinted with mirth. “And you know I would, if I was actually _allowed to go_ , for Spirit’s sake. Pakku can seriously shove it.”

Zuko winced, face flushing as he bit his lip. “Sorry… I know how much you wanted to come. Sorry to bring that up.”

“Yeah, how could you? I’m deeply wounded, may never recover”, she said sorrowfully, lifting the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. As it fell, so did her joking expression. “It’s… it’s not ideal, and I _desperately_ wish I could come, but it is what it is. I’ll be okay, and so will you, right?”

“I…”, he began, trailing off as his skin prickled in agitation. Actually, he didn’t know if he’d be okay. He wasn’t really sure what he justified as ‘okay’ these days. The word had long since lost sense in his mind and world. Thanks to his beloved extended family of Uncle and Lu-Ten, it had started to become more transparent, but time away from them had begun to wear on his wellbeing. Toph, bless her, had been a sudden beacon when he’d felt like he was about to flounder blindly once again. Those three people had been key in bringing him out from the claustrophobic darkness that had been the larger part of his existence. And now… now he was about to embark on journey where communication would not only be scarce, but risky, and once again, he’d be alone. Would he be okay like that?

Swallowing, he nodded to his friend before checking himself. “Yeah… yeah I’ll be okay.”

Toph’s expression darkened and her brows furrowed as she merely stood and stared at nothing. After a moment, she sighed, head turning from him in the smallest of shakes before facing him once more. “And remember; these aren’t just your soldiers, yeah? They’re your teammates, your comrades. Maybe even your friends, if you let them see that side of you. You’re not a lone wolf marching off to battle. You’ve got a pack.”

“I… yeah, sure”, he replied quickly, getting to his feet to bring her into his arms, her head coming to rest against his chest. It was awkward, he knew that; touch and kindness was still a foreign concept to him, but he was making the effort and that was what counted. Toph, for her usually violent displays of affection, patted his back stiffly.

“I’m going to miss you, Toph”, he mumbled into her hair.

“You too, Zuko. Hey; do me a favour and don’t die, yeah?”

He chuckled half-heartedly. “I’ll do my best not to. And you take care of yourself while I’m gone, alright? Keep beating up guys who think they’re actually good enough for you. That’s… all of them, by the way. Every last one of them.”

“Ew, Dad, stop being gross and overprotective. Sheesh”, was her muffled response, and they snorted before pulling away. “Now, go show those knuckleheads who’s gonna lead them into victory.”

With a half-smile, he saluted, took a deep breath and walked out of the tent.

* * *

“A-tteeeeen- _tion!_ Alright, at ease.”

Lifting a quiet finger to check his rapid, though still detectable pulse, Zuko stepped forward, back straight and eyes full of steel. “Men… today is the day. These past two months have been trying, and no mere walk in the park, and I’ll be the first to admit that. You’ve been driven to the absolute extremities of what is possible. You have been pushed to your very limits and then some, striving forward with grit and determination in every step you took. Your courage has been tested relentlessly, and your muscles have screamed for a moment’s solace; yet, you continuously persevered. You have proven time and time again that you have what it takes for the next step.”

“Today, we step forward and beyond the protective walls of Ba Sing Se out into relentless world. We will journey side-by-side, man to man across the Earth Kingdom, briskly and securely making our way to Western Front. I’m not going to sugar-coat it; it will be taxing, it will be tiring, and you’ll need every last ounce of strength you have to spare.”

“I want you all to turn to the man beside you… and then to the other.” He paused, taking a deep breath as he too took the chance to glance around the clearing. It was near impossible to tell who was from which nation. Gengsu, one of the young air acolytes, was nudging his elbow into the side of a rather tired-looking Nukka, a Northern waterbender. Chit Sang was throwing his bulking arm around a slight Tom-Tom, who shared a sweet smile with his larger companion. Jet and Kuruk turned to one another, the latter offering a questioning smile before being forthrightly denied with a grimace. Kuruk merely rolled his eyes before turning to his other side to where Haru stood, and the two bumped shoulders playfully. Zuko bit his lip as he looked away.

“Two months ago, these men were all strangers to you. You were all different as the day and night, but time, blood, sweat and tears has forged a union stronger than the toughest of metals, and you are now comrades. Friends. Brothers, even. And now, you are brothers in arms. You have and will continue to have each other’s backs when we’re out there facing Ozai’s forces. It won’t be easy, and some of you may never see your homes again, but know that you are all crucial, eternally vital pieces in bringing peace back to the world. Every single one of you needs to put in one hundred and ten percent, and I know you will. Despite the danger ahead, I’m not worried; for you have all proven to me that you have the tenacity, the strength, the sheer guts and determination to fight and to _win_.”

He reached down for the cosmos-changing shot of _sake_ before him, lifting it high above his head in signal for the men to follow. “You are all now soldiers of the United Forces Military; key players in bringing the end of this war. As we go forth into the great beyond, I implore to have courage, to hone your skills, to nurse your faith. We _will_ be victorious, and we will see a brighter day. _Sake!_ ”

“ _Sake!_ ” a chorus of voices all screamed back as they all lifted the nutty, burning liquid to their lips. Zuko slammed the glass back down, shaking his head as he yelled out, raising a fist into the air. Whistles, whoops, screams and claps rang out around the clearing in a deafening war-cry, men jumping on one another as they pumped their arms. A few were grouped together in an attempt for quiet prayer whilst others nearby looped their arms around each other’s shoulders and burst into shanties and folk songs. Feeling his adrenaline high wear off slightly, Zuko turned to make his way back to his tent.

“Hey, hey, _hey._ That was pretty _good_ ”, Toph said, suddenly materialising beside him. He looked at her with a small smile.

“You really think so? I felt like I was going to throw up at the start”, he replied with a nervous chuckle.

“Naw, cute. And yeah, I really do. You may have felt nervous, but the important thing is you didn’t look it. What they need most right now is comfort is knowing they’ve got a strong leader. And know they do. You’ve done the hard bit, pal. The rest will be a 'walk in the park' in comparison from here on out.”

He snorted at her words, lightly shoving her away. They continued walking, a comfortable silence falling upon them until Toph began to fidget. 

Zuko watched her cautiously until she lifted her sightless eyes towards him, letting out a sigh. "Ah... there's this other thing that I'm gonna shove onto your shoulders."

"It's okay. What's the issue?"

She paused, stopping short as she shuffled her feet. "Jet. I don't entirely trust him. I don't know why, but something about that guy just rubs me the wrong way. My gut goes all haywire coo-coo when I pass him."

Zuko considered her with a raised eyebrow. "Is this about how he treats the others? Because yes, I'm aware, and I don't approve, but there's not all that much I can do other than reprimand or make him skip a meal, which doesn't stop a guy like that from being who he is. Besides, we need all the men we can get and he was a volunteer, so clearly while his... practices may be a bit askew, his heart's in the right place. Right?" 

Toph fixed him with a look, mouth drawn into a thin line before she bit her bottom lip. "Yeah... I s'pose. Just... keep an eye on him, yeah? I'll feel better knowing he's not getting away with stuff." 

He took a deep breath, eyes quickly flashing over to where topical person was. The tanned man was leaning against Pipsqueak's back, twirling that  _stupid_ reed in his mouth. He seemed to be locked in a game of Elements with the Duke, who was looking positively infuriated at how he kept losing and Jet's continuous laughing at his predicament. Zuko pursed his lips, turning back to Toph to nod unsteadily. 

The rest of the camp was packed within an hour, and by the time the sun was central above their heads, everything and everyone was ready to go. Zuko had given Toph one last hug before going to mount his ostrich horse. He stopped short on his approach to the weapons cart when he saw his young earthbending friend and Kuruk exchange words from a distance. His eyes widened when the tribesman suddenly pulled Toph into a bone-crushing embrace, which, even more shockingly, was returned. They pulled apart, sharing a few short phrases before Kuruk waved and went up to his dragon moose’s head, gathering the lead and pressing forward to join the mass march. Zuko swallowed and quickly turned away, trotting up to his spot at the front of the crowd. He forced himself to bow a respectful head to Pakku, turning to repeat the gesture to his other colleagues with far less struggle.

Pivoting in the saddle, he raised an arm to the sky.

“Forward…”, his arm came down, pointing to the unseeable horizon in the distance, “march!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bye toph, we love you UwU
> 
> again, with the nearly 9k word chapter... im sorry. i dont know when to stop *clown emoji* watch this entire fic reach 250k words
> 
> shit is gonna get heavier from this point yall, just fyi. they ARE now going to war, and war is messy and painful and gut-wrenching and i intend to write it as such. if i think there's something that could potentially be triggering or harmful to yall, im gonna put a warning in the start notes
> 
> love you all!! the comments are making me grin like an idiot so KEEP EM COMIN GUYS, GALS AND NON-BINARY PALS


	12. Serpent's Pass and Demons Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The march to war begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy holidays, everyone!! no matter what you celebrate, i hope you've all had an amazing time filled with laughter and loved ones.
> 
> thanks so much for the comments last chapter! they make me so happy, and i love getting input from you guys x

“ _Oo_ , okay, okay, wait guys; I’ve got another one you’re gonna _love_. Ahem… _It’s a long, long way to Ba Sing Se, but the girls in the city—_ ”

“We’ve heard that one already, man. At least 17 times.”

“It’s a classic though! _But the girls in the city, they look so pretty—_ ”

“Gengsu, shut up. I swear to the Spirits – if I’d wanted to listen to lousy singing, I’d have joined my younger sister’s choir instead of the army.”

“Rotan, would ya let me finish, dude? _And they kiss so sweet, that you have to meet—”_

“Kid, I’m about to make one of those Fire bastards’ jobs easier and snuff you out myself unless you cut the shanties _now._ ”

Katara was listening to the exchange taking place behind her as Haru leaned in, whispering, “Okay look; I’m not one to agree with Jet… but if he committed murder right now, I’d say his motive was fairly justified.”

“ _Haru_!”, she hissed back, swatting as she fixed him with a half-hearted reproaching glare. The earthbender pulled away, flashing her a quizzically amused grin as he turned back to face the direction of the road they were travelling on. She guessed she was probably alone in her opinion, but she didn’t mind the lively air acolyte’s constant singing of folksongs, shanties and ditties; it actually provided her a bit of peace of the mind as she trekked through the Earth Kingdom. The Captain certainly hadn’t been sugar-coating things when he’d given the departing speech, and Katara’s aching back and legs could attest to that. Almost five days of trekking from dawn till dusk, and she was trying (and failing) to not make the comparison if the pain she felt now was worse or more bearable than that of forced-wallsits.

She shook her head. There wasn’t any room to spare doubting thoughts, and she’d only get through the journey if she was unwaveringly strong of mind. With a deep breath, she readjusted the bags upon her shoulders, her grip on Banlu’s lead, and surged forward, legs powering her up the hill they climbed. Casting her eyes forward, her brows furrowed as she found the Captain, looking despondent and disgruntled as ever. He kept glancing around atop his ostrich horse, surveying the marching party with serious eyes. Whenever he found Pakku, Katara noticed the stiffening of his shoulders and pointed look he fixed the old man with; eyes widening before narrowing in a calculating, judgemental manner. Katara quirked an eyebrow as he would then very visibly scoff before turning back to the road ahead.

On the second morning, there’d been a delay in setting off as the troops waited curiously for their commanding officer to set the direction. However, said commanding officer had been engaged in a very audible disagreement with a certain Northern waterbending master. There’d been distinct words that Katara had heard and managed to decipher the basic forms in which the opposing sides took; Master Pakku had argued that the quickest and easiest route to take through the Earth Kingdom was along the Sky Peak Mountain Range: the one that shrouded the Western Air Temple. They’d be met by an expanse of a rapid river, but the Tribesman had firmly believed he could easily bend the water out of their way as their walked through the riverbed. The Captain, on the other hand, had been fervent and adamant in his _own_ plan; to make the more direct path through what he called ‘The Serpent’s Pass’. Pakku, spluttering, had deemed the young official mad, and Katara found herself busy with Banlu and Aang as the two men then launched into a screaming match.

Since then, the two had only shared words of bare necessity, and the dark-haired Fire native had seemed extra sour as of late. So far, Katara had simply left him to his own devices and not bothered him, as he appeared reasonably content in festering in his own self-pity. But he was the leader, the supposed morale booster, their statue of strength for Tui’s sake; and Katara decided enough was enough.

Turning back to Banlu, she looped the leadrope around his neck and gave him a reassuring pat. “I can trust you to plod along with the rest of crowd, right? Good boy.”

At that moment, Aang’s head peeped out from the drawn cart and he stared quizzically at her. Katara noted adoringly that he was blinking blearily, as though he’d just woken up. “Katara? What’re you doing?”

She smiled. “Hey Sleepyhead, you all good in there?”

He nodded, rubbing his owlish eyes. “Yeah… just having a nap. I’m so bored I fell asleep.”

A soft chuckle left her lips, and she walked backward to carriage section, leaning over the wooden framing to scratch the lemur’s chin. “I know there’s not much for you to do right now. I’m sorry. Just can’t have you flying around in case one of the men thinks you’re a potential snack.”

“But—wait, who would eat a cute little flying lemur?!” he gasped, looking very much affronted by Katara’s words.

The young waterbender glanced around the nearby expanse of trail and at all its traversers. The implanted rationing was the most logical long-term choice; offering them all a backup in case things went irreversibly south. Yet, at this time, trekking over rocky hills and mountains under the hot summer sun, she could understand all too well the drowsy, defeated feelings of some. That was why people like Gengsu, even if they were annoyance to some, were so incredibly vital as they gave the others something else to focus on other than their own trembling limbs.

“Desperate people who haven’t had a decent, non-pickled or non-cured meal in days.”

Aang still looked perplexedly offended, and his bottom lip jutted out. “Maybe they’d be able to save more on a vegetarian-based diet.”

Katara sighed. “It’s… look, in an ideal world: yes, vegetarianism would be enough to sustain everyone. But these men, myself included, don’t have the luxury of wide range of fruit and veg. So, we have to eat the cured meat as it’s the easiest source of protein. I’m sorry, Aang.”

“Well… okay, I guess… I don’t agree it, though”, he trailed off, looking down as he twiddled his thumbs.

“Thanks… hey, you okay to keep an eye on Banlu for me for a bit?”

His little brow scrunched. “… Yeah? Why, where are you going?”

She bit her bottom lip, eyes flicking to the front of the troops. “I just need to… I’ll only be a minute or two, okay?”

“…Okay”, Aang called out behind her, but Katara was already pumping her forward, jogging through the small section of people that walked before her. Manoeuvring her way through with ‘excuse me’s and ‘pardon me’s, she soon came to stand slightly off to the side of the Captain. As she neared him, she could see the stress lines etched clearly on his brow as droplets of sweat dripped down. His mouth was fixed in a hard line, and the reins on his ostrich horse were taut.

“Hey Captain”, she announced, watching as he started in his saddle. Her lip quirked as he swung his head around, unscarred eye blown widely as he took in the newly present person.

“Kuruk, hi”, he got out, straightening himself back into a regal, indifferent disposition. “What’s the issue? Is your dragon moose alright?”

“Banlu’s just fine; I’d wager he’s actually faring better than some of the other men”, she said with a half-hearted scoff.

“Good. Good to hear. That’s good.”

“I, uh… I actually came to…”

It dawned on Katara that what she trying to ask was actually rather personal, and she swallowed her words. Whilst there’d definitely been a vast improvement of their interactions since their Agni Kai, there was line between acquainted and companionable; one Katara was unsure if they’d crossed.

“I-I came to ask where it is we’re going and… how long you think it’ll take to get there?”

The man above considered her for a moment before sighing. “We’re to meet with Colonel Lu Ten at the Western Front – not entirely sure what’ll be waiting for us when we get there, but hopefully he and his regiment will have smoothed down the brunt of it before we arrive. In the meantime, it’s a direct trip through the Serpant’s Pass and across the Earth Kingdom, making only the most necessary of stops to restock and supply. If we keep to schedule, we should arrive near the western coastline within thirty-four days.”

Katara frowned. “Do you expect there to be things that might make us want to stop along the way… but we can’t?”

“It’s…” he paused, wincing as he shook his head. “From what we know, the war has been kept away from the majority of the Earth Kingdom, but there may be rogue instances where villages and towns could be under siege… and by command, I have to press forward.”

“But… but you’re saying that if we come across people in need, we have to _ignore them?!_ Doesn’t go against everything we’re trying to do? Everything we’re supposedly fighting for?” she bristled.

“We’re not peacekeepers, Kuruk”, he snapped, but there was a lacking hardness to his tone, “we’re _soldiers_. We protect and prevent _by_ fighting, not by providing humanitarian aid. We have to look at the bigger picture.”

She fixed him with a calculating glare. “You don’t agree with it, though, do you? I can see it plain as day – you blatantly disapprove…” she paused, mind racing as she put points together. “You _know_ there are villages that we’re going to pass that we’re just going to walk right through, without so much as a sparing glance.”

“It doesn’t matter what I _think_ ; this war is so much bigger than anyone’s personal opinion, least of all mine and _certainly_ not yours. I have orders from people above me, people I respect that I have to adhere to. As you have to do with me being your commanding officer.”

Katara blinked. “So, what, we just – let them suffer?”

“We continue forward so we can protect them from further harm and prevent others from suffering the same.”

“This isn’t what I signed up for.”

He then turned fully to her with narrowed amber eyes, very much resembling a hungry eagle. “But you didn’t sign up, did you? You were _conscripted_ ; forced away from your safe, secluded corner of the world where daddy could keep you from harm’s way. You didn’t join the fight until you _absolutely_ had to. You don’t _get_ to choose how you fight when you behave so dishonourably.”

Katara was barely keeping from forming a water-whip, and retorted with a seething tongue, “You don’t know the _first_ thing about me. You have _no_ idea what life was like for me back at the South Pole, so don’t pretend like you do. If you’d actually bothered to ask, you’d know how many of us we lose each year to blizzards, predators, infection, hypothermia, and so much more. You may have been fighting, or preparing to fight in this war a lot longer than I have, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been fighting every second of my life.”

She gestured to his being. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the gold trimmings on your robes; you’re clearly in possession of some decent wealth. I’m the son of a chief; I could technically be considered of royal status, but by the Spirits, if I’m not out in the snow _every single day_ working just as hard as any of the others to make sure we get by. So, don’t you _dare_ come at me with that ‘dishonourable’ crap. I thought we’d gotten past this, but apparently not. I respect you and your position, but I will _not_ continue to stand for you belittling me and making baseless assumptions when you haven’t the first clue.”

Despite the ridiculous amount of height he had on her from his position off the ground, Katara felt like he was very much looking up at her like a scolded child. He blinked, his entire disposition rigid as his hackles raised once more, and suddenly he was looming again.

“Just… get back in line already. We’ll be making the climb through the pass soon and I need you watching your beast. It’s rocky.”

 _‘It’s rocky.’_ She rolled her eyes, nodding tersely before stalking back to her cart. As she neared she saw Haru look her way from his spot a few feet back from Banlu. Stepping into line with the dragon moose, she recollected the lead and stared angrily ahead, barely registering the young man approach her on her left.

“What was that about?” he asked beside her, Katara’s eyes not sparing him a glance.

“Nothing”, she hissed through gritted teeth, clicking her stead on. “Nothing at all.”

* * *

Okay, so ‘rocky’ had been a severe understatement, she decided as they scaled the precipice single-file. Katara had a sharp intake of breath as her foot slipped rocks sliding underfoot and down, down, down the side of the _very_ sharp drop into sea waters far below. She let out a curse as her heart leapt into her throat, and she focused her eyes back on the ground directly before her, leaning into Banlu’s heavy shoulder. She felt the odd notion of being watched, and looked up briefly to meet Haru’s questioning gaze directly in front of her. She smiled troubledly before glancing back down.

Any who’d been whining about sore limbs before had promptly shut up as all focus had been drawn to making sure no one fell off the side. Even Gengsu, from his position several people away from Katara, had been silenced, and could only be heard humming stintingly. The tense uncertainty of the of their stilted situation had silenced even the most boisterous of men to an unsettling quietness.

The sudden cry of a hawk brought Katara’s gaze up, and she watched as a mahogany-red dot in the sky circled above them. Instinctual panic surfaced in her before she took a steadying breath and assessed. To be heard so clearly and yet still look so small alluded to it not being a particularly large bird of prey. A quick glance around the predominantly clear sky told her it was on its own, as well.  It certainly didn’t look like any seabird she’d seen before, she thought with a squinted gaze.

Looking back down to her eye-level, she scoured the faces of those she could see. Most had done similar to her: noticed the bird before continuing on their path. However, there was one face several spots behind hers that appeared fixed on the lone hawk, staring intently at its movements. Something shifted south of her periphery, and her gaze shot down to see his hand repeating the same pointed movement. All of a sudden, he froze, and Katara looked back up to see Jet’s dark eyes meet her own storm-blue ones. For a moment, neither moved, watching in anticipation of… something. The moment passed and his gaze narrowed, face screwing up as he dared her to react.

Glaring once at him, she turned back around to the treacherous path before her, forcing the aloof figure from her mind as she focused on narrow slope.

Hours passed by as they manoeuvred the undulated terrain, backs drenched in sweat and covered in aches as the mid-summer sun poured down shadelessly onto them. At their higher altitude, the wind was considerable, yet hot and dry and salty, and hissed at any open cuts on their bodies. Katara swayed, her vision blurring as she wiped the moisture from her brow. Beside her, Banlu wasn’t faring much better: his russet coat lathered in white foam along the ridges of the harness, his breath coming out in laboured rasps. Her heart sank, patting his neck affectionately as they trudged on. The path had widened slightly, allowing room for those who needed support to lean on the shoulders of their comrades.

Within three months, Katara had been thrown from one seaside extreme to another, and it was taking her full mental capacity not to throw herself off the cliff and let the water engulf her. Getting acclimated to the jarringly different heat during days on Banlu or in the safety of camp had been hard enough, but to be somewhere so similar yet so vastly not to that of her homeland was taking her for a spin. She groaned, lifting the waterskin from her pouch to her dry and chapped lips, letting the luke-warm liquid balm over the wind-burned area and parch her tacky mouth. Thinking idly about how she’d need to fill it up in case of emergency later, she pocketed it once more, and continued forward.

The monotonous pattern of walking droned on, and the only real indication of time was that of the slowly setting sun, painting the sky in mesmerising violets, ambers and golds. As they began to crest a particular ridge, the Captain called out ahead, voice raspy from disuse and dehydration.

“We’ll stop here for the night! Everyone pack into the clearing ahead; all carts to be deposited in the middle. There isn’t enough room for individual tents, so we’ll all just be sleeping outside tonight. Pack animals to be fed and watered first, then the rest of us.”

A collective groan of relief sounded from the soldiers, Katara included, as they sagged their way into the small expanse of space. Reaching the centre, she turned to a very weary looking Banlu and began to unburden him of his restraints. As the waterbender set the breeching dee down to the ground, he too let out an appreciative groan, glancing up at his master with blown pupils. She smiled, running a thumb over the bridge of his muzzle, stopping to scratch a gigantic ear.

“That’s gotta feel a whole lot better, hey buddy?” she murmured, noting how her fingernails soon became clumped with matted and sweaty hair. Glancing down further, she sighed at the very obvious harness marks, laced with rubbed-off hair and white foamy sweat. She sighed.

“Salt water’s good for reducing inflammation after a hard workout.”

Turning around, she was met with the Captain’s lowered gaze, watching as he bit his full bottom lip. “Or… it is for ostrich horses, at least. But I figure the same principle applies to your dragon moose. ‘Cause… yeah.”

_‘Oh, what the hell?’_

She crossed her arms, fixing him with a pointed look as he raised his chin. “Also… I’d like to apologise for the… before. It was unjustified and wrong of me to assume anything about your homelife.”

Huh.

“That… was actually a decent apology”, she said bemusedly, before letting out a soft chuckle. “It’s alright – I guess I kind of overreacted as well?”

He grimaced, nodding slightly. “Yeah, well… you’re not wrong.”

“Hey!”, she exclaimed, brows knitting as a _grin_ of all things appeared on his face. “I’m trying to say sorry myself here!”

“No, no, you’re right. Please, continue.”

She opened her mouth to speak but then stopped, drawing back in. She took the moment to look at him, _truly_ look at him as he stood before her. The lines on his face, though currently soft in his expression, showed through their hard visibility the years in which they’d taken to form. His bright, golden-flecked eyes were first and foremost hard, critical, unwelcoming at their glance. Then, of course, there was his scar. Katara had become to accustomed to it that she hadn’t even tried to picture what his face would look like without the marred, furiously-red eye and cheek, but as she dared imagine now, she could see an even brighter eye staring back at her. The soft scruff on his jawline hid traces of smaller scars. Despite all the premature aging, Katara guessed he couldn’t be more than two or three years older than her. For the first time, she wondered what tragical circumstances had befallen the young man to grant him such a painful past. The realisation hit her like a freight.

“I… also made some pretty baseless assumptions about you. I’m quite the hypocrite to accuse you of not knowing a thing about me when I also don’t really know a thing about you. And for that, I apologise. It’s not my place to ask about your past when my own is so, _so_ screwed up. You’re my commanding officer; I’m just a soldier, and I was acting really poorly and… and forgetting my place. So… I’m sorry.”

“Kuruk, listen”, he said, raising a placating hand before taking a deep breath. “Look… all those times I said things… I was just…”

“Yeah?”

He paused, casting conflicted eyes off to the side as he licked his lips. “I… it’s nothing. Just… yeah, don’t take my criticisms that hard.”

She raised her eyebrows. “ _That_ hard?”

“Well, I was training you, so they did come from a place of mentorship. You _should_ still take them to some extent”, he said with a quiet smirk.

“ _Oh_ , okay Captain; how’s about we spar later and you can see just how well I’ve taken your critiques.”

“Are you sure? You looked like you were about to just collapse off the cliff a few times during the hike.”

“I didn’t have the luxury of an easy ride up it unlike _some_ people, but if you think that’s going to impede me in any way against you, you’re sorely mistaken.”

 _‘Wait. He was watching me?’_ occurred as a subtle underthought.

His slanted eyes narrowed slyly as the dawning starlight reflected in his irises. “Well, okay then. If you really think you can keep up, we’ll see about finding some space after everything’s settled and everyone’s fed. And your dragon moose is taken care of, of course.”

“Right! Banlu; salt water”, she said eloquently, gesturing to the weary animal beside her. “Forgot about that.”

He snorted softly, nodding in amusement before his brows knitted and he jutted a thumb behind him. “You might be able to find some residue puddles up here. If not, there may be something in the medical cart that we could spare.”

She smiled openly. “Thank you, but you don’t need to waste that. I can get some from the bay myself.”

“You’re insane if you think I’m letting you walk down that death-trap only to haul water back up.”

Rolling her eyes playfully, she arched a hand toward Banlu and with a gentle movement, alleviated some of the salty sweat from his coat. She kept her gaze on the Captain, watching in satisfied amusement as his mouth popped open; his wide amber eyes glued to the levitating pool of liquid.

“You… you’re a waterbender.”

“Mhm. So, as you can see, I’m not really putting my life at a large risk in getting water from down there. I’ll just bend it up - don’t even have to move an inch, really”, she joked with the slyest of grins, subconsciously congratulating herself for the dumbstruck look on his face.

Really, he looked… shellshocked, almost. He just continued staring, not a word passing through his lips, and Katara began to lower the ball of sweat along with her expression. An undiscernible tension rose in the air in tandem with dropping liquid, and she swallowed thickly.

“Um… everything okay? You look kind of… frozen”, she asked, tilting her head bemusedly.

Her words snapped him from whatever reverie he was in, and he shook loose stray hairs of his topknot as he shook his head. His mouth stuttered, then breathed deeply before raising his chin in that professional manner he always seemed to. “Y-yeah, just… didn’t realise there were many waterbenders left in the south.”

“Oh”, Katara said, the stilted comment dragging her back into memories she’d rather not remember. “Yeah… we uh, we lost a few over recent years. Some to the civil war we had with the North a few years back and then, of course, the raids…”

_‘Deep breaths.’_

“Anyway,” she continued, moving past the lump forming in her throat, “a few Northerners relocated down our way, so our numbers are slowly increasing but… yeah. For a while there, they’re weren’t many at all. Kind of just… me at one point.”

There was a pause. “…I’m sorry. That must’ve been hard.”

Katara hummed noncommittally, her eyes casting down to her hands as she wrung them. “Yeah. It was.”

She closed her eyes, and suddenly, she was back in her family hut eleven years ago, staring at the monstrously tall man overbearing her ever-stoic mother. Her brows furrowed as she recalled the way her younger self had trembled; existing on the absolute cusp of a panic attack before her mother brought her back to her kind cerulean eyes. The way she’d seen her so impossibly brave and eerily calm at the age of seven was now laced with age-earnt wisdom; she thought maybe she’d imagined away other things, like the tiniest of tremors in her voice, or the way she’d clutched at the fabric of her parka. Sometimes she wished she still retained that childhood naivety, but if she was honest with herself, she couldn’t even remember what it even meant to be a child.

“Um,” the Captain’s voice opened her eyes, and she glanced up to see him shifting back, “I need to get back to making sure everyone’s settling. Food and futons and… stuff.”

She breathed deep, smiling. “Of course… I’ll see you later. Good luck with the rest of the horde.”

He laughed somewhat stiffly at her joke, dipping his head as he proceeded to head off. Katara noticed with quiet indifference that he kept glancing back almost cautiously at her. With a purse of her lips, she wheeled around and continued to tend to Banlu by replacing his bridle with the simple rope halter. From the cart behind him, Aang’s little round head peeped out, attention flicking between her and the retreating commanding officer.

“He’s weird”, he finally said, tail twitching behind him.

“Yeah,” she replied, a quiet smile playing on her lips as she let her chi reach for the water way below, “I suppose he is.”

* * *

Zuko reached a steadying hand to his chest, trying desperately to remember his breathing exercises as the building panic constricted him. His mind as reeling, hardly focusing on any particular thought, but somehow being consumed by one singular earnest face. As he walked through the temporary camp, checking on his soldiers, he fought internally with his own mind; pushing, shoving, throwing his entire weight against the memories of a life he’d rather forget. Flashes of his past blinded him, and he blinked hard and fast against the soft twilight sky.

Rooms the colour of an enemy’s blood yet to be shed.

Tapestries depicting a perfect family that featured him; yet that he somehow didn’t recognise.

A gentlewoman’s troubled and guarded expression as she gazed upon her children.

High-pitched laughter filled with oblivious child’s glee as a young girl enjoyed her restricted youth.

Looming, calculating yellow eyes that never strayed too far, that resembled his own much too closely.

Whispered plots in passed-by war-rooms; featuring words like ‘superiority’, ‘pillage’, ‘exterminate’, ‘eradicate’, and ‘burn to ashes’.

His breath stuttered and the world swayed beneath his feet. Quickly glancing behind him to find the coast clear, he rounded a corner of rocks and leaned back against the narrow space of cliff face, breathing heavily as he focused on the wispy clouds above. As he formed dragons and birds of prey in the indigo sky, he worked tirelessly on training his laboured breathing back into regularity.

_‘Okay, assess the situation. Figure out the facts.’_

Kuruk was of the Southern Tribe; that was already a universal truth and very well-known. His father went by the name of Hakoda, and from what his Uncle and Pakku had told him, the man was the Chief of the Tribe. Newly collected and rather startling revelation – Kuruk was a _waterbender_. Fine. All well and good. Those things on their own were able to be dealt with just fine. However, the next part was the more painful – matching up what he knew to be resolutely true from his time spent as Ozai’s righthand. He took another steadying breath.

In the lead-up to his high-and-mighty father’s genocide of the airbenders, there’d been the practice round: the raids for waterbenders. He’d been barely eight years old when he’d first seen the second Prince of the Fire Nation speaking in surreptitious manner with burly, roguish soldiers on dockside about ‘preventing the issue before it arises’. He’d been confused, watching behind a pillar as weapons he’d never seen before were loaded onto ships that sailed south of his world, further than the horizon could show.

As the years went on, his grandfather died, his mother… disappeared, his sister lost her light-filled laugh and his father grew bolder with each waking day. Zuko, eager to seem as keen and attentive as the gift-given Azula, urged his father to allow him more responsibility and practical knowledge as preparation for the eventual inheritance that was the nation he’d serve. He recalled the ecstasy his thirteen-year-old self had felt when the Fire Lord had nodded slowly, leading his son into his own grandiose council of war.

“Fire Lord Ozai, I am pleased to report that General Iroh has fled from our forces and is no longer within our borders”, a middle-aged man had reported with a satisfied grin.

“My estranged brother is no General, and you’ll do well to remember that when you mention his name in my presence, Major Shintsu.”

The phantom chill ran up Zuko’s back as he remembered the icy tone of his father’s voice that had caused the officer to shrink back into himself. “O-of course, My Lord.”

It was at this moment that the formidable Fire Lord rose from his seat, presence looming impossible large as he spoke down to his officials. “I want it to be abundantly transparent that _Iroh_ is a perpetual traitor of the fatherland, and is not to be underestimated for the slightest of moments. Not only has he forsaken the crown, but he has fervently gone against the wishes of my dying father and actively tried to prevent our nation from expanding and flourishing. He has already attempted to renounce me of my title; and while he may try to take my country and birthright from me, he too gave up power the second he stepped against it. At the conclusion of the oncoming conflict, there will only be _one_ victor and _one_ Fire Lord – myself. He will do whatever it takes to see our downfall, and we must prepare to face whatever forces he rallies. Whilst there are no longer any Southern waterbenders to concern ourselves with, we must expect a large number from the Northern Tribe, and also those of Air and Earth; which brings me to my next strategy, in which we see—”

“Wait, what?”

Zuko had realised too late that words had left his mouth as every face within the room turned to face him. Except for one. Staring straight at the wall ahead yet somehow directing all his attention to the boy on his right, Ozai calmly said, “Is there a… problem, Prince Zuko?”

The younger version of himself hadn’t known that he should’ve just replied with a simple, unproblematic ‘no’. “I… I’m just wondering why there aren’t any benders from the South Tribe. Where’d they go?”

A few quiet chuckles had rippled around the table, yet Zuko had sheltered them out and kept his focus solely on the most important figure in the room. “Do you really not know?”

“No. Should I?”

“Well, considering we caused their extinction… I should think so.”

He’d never forget how those words had rattled him straight to his very core. “W-what… what’d you mean. What did we do to them?”

“What those dark-skinned peasants bloody-well deserved”, a shrew-like man had sniggered further down.

Looking once more to his father for confirmation, he’d listened in horrified rapture as Ozai went on. “Yes. Five years ago, I made the proactive decision to eliminate one of the roots of our enemies before they could grow from their dirty soil. The Southern Water Tribe had recently been engaged in a civil war with their Northern brothers – that’s the nature of barbarians – and were already weak and low in men. They forbid their women to fight, but that meant there were plenty of female benders ready to reproduce with those who did return and pass on the bending blood. Through raid after raid, I ensured that we got rid of every single last one of them.”

“But – but Father, they were innocent! Women and children who weren’t even part of the war…” Zuko had felt his heart race with ferocity at the injustice he couldn’t believe his father had done. Fighting enemy soldiers was one thing; attacking and murdering civilians in cold blood was another entirely. Feeling his adrenaline rise, he’d leapt to his feet and exclaimed, “That’s not right!”

Shutting out the murderous yellow that had in that moment turned on him and the resulting white-hot pain on his face, he grimaced, eyes squeezing close. He now recalled the other facts: his father had ordered the extermination of all Southern waterbenders, he had seen the warning signs, and yet, done nothing to prevent them from happening until it was too late. There were no Southern Water Tribe benders left.

Except there was. He ran fingers back through his loose, messy topknot. Somehow, by some miracle or force of nature, Kuruk had evaded their grasp. He was the very last waterbender of the South… and it was Zuko’s fault.

Indirectly, yes, sure, but he couldn’t help but recall Pakku’s words from short days prior.

_“How do you think you’re going to be received when they find out just who exactly you are?”_

He let out a groan, back slipping down the sharp surface of the rock face behind him. He didn’t want to admit it, but the young Tribesman intrigued him. He didn’t know what, but there was something else behind that kind smile, and that tenacious attitude and relentless energy. He was becoming a formidable sparring opponent, and Zuko would be lying if he said he didn’t think the young man had what it took to really go up in the ranks. He was truthfully proud of the advancements he’d made, and found him to be quite intelligent and entirely considerate. Spirits… he didn’t know what exactly their strange… arrangement was, but he enjoyed his company. And if Kuruk ever found out about his real identity or role in the destruction of his world, he’d never forgive him. Not that he could blame him. Sins of the father and all.

His mouth formed a thin line and he shook his head, glancing out at the dusk horizon. Birds flew toward the setting sun, along the ridges of gold-rimmed clouds. He watched as the tiny specks continued forward until they disappeared from his sight altogether, and he let out a sigh. Picking himself up, he took a steadying breath and pushed back all thoughts and worries. There wasn’t time to focus on his own personal worries; he had a duty that required his full undivided attention, and if he slipped for just a second, he’d endanger his entire troops and then the rest of the world. He had to pull himself together.

Zuko’s face hardened as he walked through the makeshift camp, scanning his men as they ate in semi-comfort, talking animatedly amongst themselves. The smell of the salted food reached his senses and ignited his empty stomach, and with its very audible grumble, he suddenly realised just how much he ached for it to be filled.

Walking over toward the food cart, he nodded as the cook before him offered a bow of respect. As the stout man came up, he spared a toothy smile. “Evenin’ Captain; how goes it?”

“Fine, thank you”, he said tersely, looking toward the barrels behind him. “What is it tonight then, Mushi?”

The older man winced. “Nothin’ fancy, I’m afraid. Bit of rice with barley and some pickled herring. Small portions to preserve extra in case of an emergency.”

“Perfect. All the men fed and accounted for?”

“That I know of.” Mushi paused, tapping his index finger against his mouth. “Though… the big bloke who usually comes for seconds didn’t even try today, which was weird.”

“Maybe they’re finally starting to realise the enormity of this war”, he muttered, crossing his arms as he glanced off into the distance, toward the remaining journey left of the Pass. He nodded curtly. “Good. It's way past due time.”

A clearing throat beside him brought him back, and he awkwardly looked to where the cook was trying to pass him his serving along with a raised eyebrow. “Rest easy tonigh’, Captain. You look like you need it.”

“You’re saying- but I- what’d… I look _fine_!” Zuko spluttered indignantly.

To his further annoyance, the portly man simply just looked amused. “Just a humble suggestion. No harm in it, is all. Anyways, here’re your chopsticks. Have a good night.”

“Yeah… you too”, he grumbled half-heartedly as he turned, not waiting till he reached his ostrich horse before digging into the food.  The tangy fish and sweet rice hit his tongue with invigorating euphoria, and he hummed in quiet satisfaction, moving toward the small bonfire the troops had crowded around. Not even caring to look at who he was next to, he plonked down within the formed circle, offering a small ‘excuse me’ as he took another mouthful. There was a pleasantly distracting cacophony of voices surrounding him as he looked up.

Across the fire, a group of men had gotten up and started doing some sort of dance as one tried to carry a tune and surrounding others clapped. It was unlike any he’d seen in the ballrooms of the palace – such waltzes had been held over a decade ago and were hazy in his memory – and he watched on, intrigued, as they jumped and skipped, locking arms and twirling around each other. He stared in wonder at the laughing grins on their faces. It was pure, unbridled joy without a hint of trouble in their blushing dimples. A soft breath escaped his lips, and he felt his shoulders lighten ever so slightly.

Movement flickered in his periphery, and his head turned sharply to see a familiar blue-clad figure step from the shadows. The boy was wringing his hands, water dripping from them as he shook them out. He then ran a hand through his dark hair, which Zuko had just realised was down, and the firebender felt something in his chest coil. Glancing toward the group of dancers, an open grin split his face, and in its illumination from the bright fire, very nearly blinded the enraptured witness. With a bark of laughter, the waterbender leapt into the circle and eagerly joined in.

Zuko was vaguely aware of the person to his left getting up, but he couldn’t tear his attention away from its current holder. He was bewitched, body and soul, by this living enigma. He twisted and turned, flowing like the element he bended, and Zuko was sure in that moment that he’d perhaps entered the Spirit World. Everything about him was ethereal, and Zuko wanted to discard his earthly tethers and reach that incredible plain of existence.

In that moment, Kuruk glanced over and Zuko felt like he’d been struck. Short umber hair flitted across impossibly ocean-wide orbs. Electric blue: like a tempestuous storm, ravaging everything in her path as she swept across an relentless ocean. Pinkish lips parted momentarily, and something stuttered in him as they quirked up ever so slightly.

Maybe Kuruk would find out one day what he'd been part of, and maybe there’d be a time when their sparring sessions, easy banter, incomprehensible connection would fade out of existence. On that day, Zuko would tear his hair out and beg for forgiveness he didn’t deserve, knowing full-well he’d never get it. But for now, there was this. This was weird, and confusing, and he hardly knew what to make of it. It shouldn’t make sense, but in an inexplainable way, it did. And it awakened his inner fire like nothing before, so he’d hang onto it with everything he was. He shoved another mouthful of rice in, but not before offering the smallest of smiles back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh zuko, bby, im so sorry i keep putting you through all this shit. one of these days we'll get through a chapter without you having a panic attack or confuseld feelings 
> 
> confession time: ive started feeling a wee bit insecure about this story - which is stupid, but i have. i know the pace of things has been a bit slow, and im worried i may have had some unnecessary fillers, but I can promise, everything is really kicking off now. shit bout to go DOWN.
> 
> anyway, i got the BEST christmas present this year - being accepted in my first preference of uni courses (fine arts, majoring in creative writing)! i start in february, so am going to be writing like a crazy person until then. Im currently working on another two stories (one anne with an e (!!feel free to check out under my username!!), and one an original novel that im still planning out), but I promise - this fic is my baby and she will be nurtured.
> 
> comments, kudos and everything in between are ETERNALLY appreciated and *mwah* love y'all for them and the ongoing support.
> 
> NEXT CHAPTER: the final leg of the serpents pass - except shit goes downhill and its kinda up to our fave waterbender (not you pakku, ew) to get everyone out of troubled waters.  
> pun intended? wait and see. ;)   
> also zuko is as confused as ever


	13. Troubled Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara and the rest of the soldiers set out to finish the last stretch of the Serpent's Pass, hoping to cross over into war territory within daylight hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY ROARING TWENTIES YALL  
> so sorry its been an age since i updated: xmas, nye, birthdays and family gathos tend to get in the way of an innate desire to write. as well as writers block, which is an absolute ass  
> thank you so so much for the lovely comments on the last chapter. youre all the BEST - hope you enjoy this update just as much

The crisp, early-morning sea breeze swept over Katara’s exposed face, leaving traces of sea salt in her mouth, and she snuggled further into her futon, humming in contentment. The wind whistled at the high altitude, and for a moment, she could imagine she was tucked back into her layers upon layers of fur way back south, way back home. Visions of snowflakes danced across her memory, and in her semi-conscious state, she slipped an arm out of the small blanket and waited until a reminiscent chill ran as goosebumps up her limb. She could practically smell the eel being fried in blubber as her Gran-Gran sung songs of ancient times, all while her father sat in the kitchen, writing on maps and graphs. For a fleeting moment, everything was balanced.

Suddenly, she heard the clinking of shifting rocks, followed by a hissed curse, and just like that, she was back in the Earth Kindgom, atop a ridge in the middle of a sea. Peering through bleary eyes, her tranquil expression suddenly hardened as she watched Jet glancing around shiftily before he continued forward, walking like he was on eggshells. She slowed her breathing and shut her eyes until she could just make out what the aloof figure was doing.

The amber orb of the sun hadn’t even breached the horizon yet, and the sky was still a deep indigo with a mere amethyst blush running over the water. There was no logical reason for Jet to be stirring, let alone fully awake and snooping at this ridiculous hour. Heck, the only reason Katara was awake was because her subconscious dared to hang onto the notion that she was still in the past. Watching Jet now, she was not looking at a person who’d desperately needed to relieve themselves and was now trudging back, barely alive before they collapsed to the ground back into a peaceful slumber. No, the way in which his eyes darted and lithe muscles tensed was much too fired up for that.

Then, barely audible, like a whisper on the wind, she heard the flap of wings. Her eyes shot up to see a bird, a hawk of sorts, flying away from behind a pillar of rocks. The pillar was in the same direction that Jet had walked from. At a closer glance, Katara took in a breath. The bird was a rich mahogany-brown – the same bird she’d seen yesterday.

At that second, Jet, who’d been preparing to get back into safety of his futon, wheeled around and stared Katara down. She’d never shut her eyes so fast, controlling her breathing to a slow pace once more as her heart hammered erratically in her chest. She waited, breath too slow for the amount of oxygen her blood was using up, until she heard the telling shift of fabric as Jet slid back into the futon before she allowed a slightly deeper breath.

She didn’t like Jet. That knowledge was clearer than the sky was blue to anyone with any inkling of social awareness. His despicable attitude, stand-offish demeanour to anyone new, the blatant bullying he practiced on anyone just slightly different – Spirits, it made her skin crawl, and every damn time she saw that reed in his disgustingly smug smirk, she wanted to punch it clean off his face. But… even she could respect that just because he was jerk, it didn’t take away from the fact he was in the army. He clearly had some moral compass; though, she incredibly clueless as to which way it pointed.

The way he’d been acting recently… he’d gone from a cocky, outspoken man far too big for his britches to a secluded, icy-cold figure with a bite full of frost. No matter what she was told, she knew an absolute truth that her people lived by philosophically: people don’t change – they only reveal their true colours in times of crisis. And Jet’s apparent change terrified her. Nothing good ever came from a bold and boisterous man turning into a lurking shadow.

For next whoever knows how long, Katara festered in her thoughts, her vision of darkness slowly revealing a hint of light beyond her closed eyelids. She heard others begin to stir with pained groans, complaints of stiff backs and a handful jumping up to rush to the food cart. With one last sigh, she rolled onto her elbow, glancing around at the dawn-lit clearing. It was a beautiful sunrise; the type she’d see the first morning after a midnight winter solstice. Everything was so vibrant, and the water sparkled with the new day’s first light. 

Katara stared across it, off into the unseeable distance, when she felt a tap on her elevated shoulder. Rolling back over to sit up, she glanced sideways and was immediately transfixed. Despite having turned completely away from the sunrise, she was still able to see all of its brilliant colours – reds, oranges, and yellows, all swimming in a pool of fiery gold – staring straight back at her. She couldn’t move, seemingly lost in those impossibly bright eyes to the point where she had to tear her gaze away in fear she’d be blinded. Breathing immediately became easier.

“Captain, hi. Good morning.”

“Morning Kuruk”, he said casually, kindly. “Seems like you had a well-earned rest after sparring last night.”

She snorted lightly, groaning as she stretched out her arms. “Eh, honestly? I didn’t need _that_ much sleep - despite this being an outrageously early time to be waking up. Didn’t work too hard.”

His striking eyes sparkled as he rose from his crouch. “Oh, so I went too easy on you then? Well, maybe next time we do it, we have a match or two with swords as well.”

She smirked. “Are you _really_ that worried about me beating you in hand-to-hand combat?”

“Not at all. The only thing I’m worried about is if you’re just a one trick pony.”

“Oh, you definitely don’t need to worry about that.”

He smirked at her, expression easy and open as he gazed from above. After the spontaneous spout of dancing last night, Katara, already quite exerted from the activity and day’s walk, had gone up to the Captain with a promised challenge in her eyes. The sparring matches that ensued had left her breathless, slightly bruised, and with muscles that ached to the bone. But it was a good ache. A satisfying one. Afterwards, she’d laid on her futon, facing the stars, and found herself pleasantly exhausted. It had easily been one of the best sleeps she’d had in a while.

But now, it was barely dawn, and they were up again. With one last stretch and yawn, Katara got to her feet, brushing off the thin layer of salt and dust that had collected on her. “So, are we leaving now?”

“Yes’, he replied matter-of-factly, and the commanding officer was back. Placing his hands on his hips, he looked out at the horizon. “We’ve still got at least half a day of walking through the Pass, and we need to get to the mainland before high-tide comes in – which is around noon. I’m just going around making sure that everyone is present and accounted for and that they’re all up and ready to move out. We don’t have the luxury of time for a decent breakfast, so you’ll just have to stop by the cart and grab something for on-the-go. The cook will have some fruit for your dragon moose, so make sure he’s fed before you are.”

The wave of reality swept over her through furrowed brows, and Katara nodded, standing to attention. “Yes, sir. I’m right on it.”

He dipped his head responsively before stepping back and continuing his march around the plateau. Breathing in a rush of air to her lungs, Katara cleared her head with a shake and began to roll up her futon. She moved through the motions of her instructions systematically, eventually hauling her few worldly possessions onto her shoulder to lug to the weapons cart where Aang slept and Banlu stood, having loyally protected it all night. She smiled as the dragon moose lifted his head and snorted in greeting.

“Good morning to you, too”, she chuckled, reaching up to stroke his long, slender face. “How’s my best boy doing?”

“Peachy!” Aang suddenly called out, peeking his head around the small curtain of the cart to smile broadly. “Oh yeah, and Banlu is doing pretty good, too.”

“Aang, _sh!_ ” she hissed, though with a reciprocating smile on her face as she moved toward the lemur-boy. “Someone might hear you.”

He winced, grinning sheepishly as he scratched behind his head. “Oh. Right, I forgot about that.”

She let out a breathy laugh, shaking her head as he tilted his head into her offered hand. “Did you sleep okay?”

As if on cue, he let out a little yawn to show tiny pointed teeth. “Yeah… I just want to _do_ something, though. I haven’t left this cart for _days_ and I am _so bored,_ Katara! There’s only so much world to see through this tiny little gap. It sucks.”

She could understand his plight. Truly. After all, she’d spent years just gazing out at the endless expanse of sky, sea and ice, waiting for the day to be over so she could do it all again the next. Katara respected routine, but she could not _bear_ to stand monotony. She needed, _craved_ a fire in her blood, that something that gave her purpose, and not to just sit still and look like a pretty ornament on someone’s arm. Aang and she were kindred, in a way. With his Air nomad lineage, she supposed free-spiritedness and a love for the fast lane came naturally.  

She wanted nothing more than for him to be able to re-join his element and soar way above her head, like an impossible dot in the sky. However, their current situation demanded restraint, cooperation, and a degree of stealth they both struggled to obtain. She sighed.

“I know…” she said with a smiling frown, “but you know you have to stay concealed. Too much can go wrong if you’re flying about and someone spots you. I’ll find a way for you to get out at some point but for now, you need to stay put.”

His eyes crinkled as he leaned toward her. “Maybe just a _little tiny_ fly? No one will see me, I promise!”

“I’m sorry, but no.”

“Ugh, _Kataraaa_ -”

“I’m not kidding, Aang”, she said with a bit of conviction, pointing her finger at him like a scolding mother. “We can’t risk it. We just can’t.”

They locked eyes, engaging in a battle of wills as they stared one another down. After a brief while, Aang’s eye began to twitch, and Katara smirked. Unbeknownst to him, as it was entirely free from his vision, her other hand worked small motions, keeping the moisture across her exposed eyeballs. She could quite literally do this all day. Aang hadn’t a hope.

After a minute or so, he let out a miniscule groan, rapidly blinking his eyes as he rubbed them. “Fine. Okay, fine! I’ll just sit here and do nothing!”

“That you will”, she chastised with a soft chuckle, leaning forward to brush the top of his head with a kiss. When she pulled away, she saw some of the irritation had left his little face, and his big grey orbs looked up at her softly. She flashed him a dimpled smile, giving him one last stroke on his head before continuing around to the back.

Finally semi-secluded, the easiness of the morning routine became weighed down by the finality of the day planned, and the smile slipped from her face. She bit her lip, resting her hands on her hips as she studied the rocky ground, hair falling in front of eyes. In less than half a day, they would finish crossing the Serpent’s Pass and set foot in the war-side of the Earth Kingdom, where who-knows-what exactly waited for them there: hidden in the shadows or thundering at a meteoric speed towards their unprepared souls. She lifted a finger to the phantom necklace around her neck and breathed deep, eyes sealing shut.

Her mind wandered, flying across the impossibly hot sky toward the chilling winds of her homeland, and she thought of her family. It would be the middle of winter right about now, and there’d more time spent in darkness than in sunlight. Hunting would be dangerous, and the Tribe would be rationing out the preserves and stocked-up sea prunes, layering up and sleeping together to share body-heat. Gran-Gran manifested in her mind, sweeping snow out of the house as she scolded her father for trekking it inside in the first place. Katara wondered how she was coping with the chill of winter; she _was_ getting on in her years, after all, and winter at the Pole was always more generous to those who were stronger. The previous year gone by had been harsh, harsher than most, and Gran-Gran’s heart had weakened following a bout of hypothermia. Katara shuddered, praying this year was kinder to the dear woman.

She thought of her father, rolling his eyes good-naturedly as villagers expressed concern for the hindrance that was his limp, patting them on the shoulders saying he was made tough as yak hide. She imagined the grimace he’d hide as the bone-chilling cold brought an eternal ache to his walk. She wondered if he sat down at their too-large table after a gruelling day of sickness and struggle, head in his hands as he thought about his wife, son and daughter, all lost to him in some way. Her lip quivered as dared to guess which way she’d become lost to him… if she’d let him down.

His shorter, slimmer carbon copy came into frame, and as she tied her back, pictures of her and Sokka mucking around in the snow played across her mind. He’d been gone over a year, now; gone to fight a bloody, horrific war when he was barely of age. Katara could recall the day he left as though it were yesterday: Gran-Gran had been making the biggest fuss over him, loading the young man up with more sea prunes than even he could handle, giving him one of her signature fiery hugs that were warm enough to last you through the coldest days. Hakoda had been trying to remain strong, tears pooling as he brought his oldest child fiercely close to his chest, clutching the back of his head in desperation when the emotion became too great. Katara… well, she scoffed as she remembered the utter mess she’d been. Sokka had been the brave one for both of them, making quips and poking her in the side to alleviate some of the despondent mood. As he’d walked toward the ship, waving one last goodbye to them, the feigned grin slipped just as he’d turned seemingly from view, and in a brief moment of lapse in character, Katara saw his frown.

She prayed he was okay – wherever he was – and that when this was all over, they’d be reunited as a family once more.

Swallowing her emotion, she adjusted the water skin on one hip, her father’s sword into its hilt on the other, and tightened the wrapping around her forearms, breathing a quick, sharp puff of air before moving to secure Banlu in his own uniform. With practiced hands, he was strapped into the cart within a minute or two, and Katara allowed a small smile at her handiwork. Nodding to herself, she marched over to the food cart, where the cook was busy humming away as he passed a little wrapping to all who approached. When he looked up and saw Katara, his easy smile formed into a toothy grin. She returned it gladly.

“Good mornin’ to you, Kuruk!”

She chuckled, and it felt like a sigh of relief. “Good morning to you, also, sir. How are you?”

He breathed deeply, mouth fixing in a thin line, though his eyes still twinkled. “I’ll be very blunt with you: _tired_ ”, he deadpanned, raising his brows as he dipped his hand into a tray. “Ridiculous hour to be up and leavin’. Betcha the land birds ain’t even in the sky yet… Don’t you go sayin’ words to the Captain, though.”

“Oh no, you’re absolutely right”, she agreed with a smirk. “I don’t think my body has caught up with my brain yet, and it’s still trying to register that I’m actually awake.”

Her eye caught the Captain, who was running about the place like he’d chugged a vase-worth of cactus juice. She shook her head as she gestured toward him. “Besides, he looks like he’s far too busy for me to get a word in. I don’t know _how_ he is so energised in the morning, and in good grace about it.”

Turning back, she caught the cook’s eye twitching just before he pulled out a small parcel, tied together with twine. “‘Fraid that there’s no extravagant meals for breakfast today. It’s eatin’ on-the-go, or nothin’. Hopefully that’ll give you enough sustenance too last till we reach land.”

Quirking a curious eyebrow at the chef, she placed the little bag in her hand and carefully undid the twine to reveal its contents. Immediately, she was met with a strong and sweet aroma and she hummed appreciatively, inspecting the three little rice triangles within. “Smells _divine_ , sir.”

“Thank you kindly”, he said with a tip of his head, resting his hands on his hips with pride. “Plum and rhubarb _umeboshi onigiri_. Family recipe. Small, easy to make, but _oo boy,_ do they put a pep in your step.”

She grinned, restricting herself from dissolving into them immediately. Spirits, she really was her brother’s sister, wasn’t she? “They sound delicious; though, trusting you’ll make anything less than excellent food is kind of precedented… as long as it’s not papaya. I can’t wait to try them. Thank you so much!” she exclaimed, moving to take a step before clarity hit her and she spun right back. “Oh! Also, you wouldn’t happen to have any… cherry apples or anything? Or regular apples are fine, too. I need to feed my dragon moose.”

“Hmm… I should do; let me take a looksee back here”, he drawled, turning around and whistling to himself as he bent over into a barrel.”

“Aha!” he wheeled around, grinning broadly with two, oddly brown fruits in his hands. “Would these suffice?”

“Oh, thank you, yes”, Katara said, reaching over to grab the surprisingly sticky apples. She must have shown her slightly repulsed discomfort on her face, for the cook began to chuckle.

“They’re fresh: I can assure you of that! I coat ‘em in a mixture of ground flax seed and honey. Helps get a smidge of protein and omega three into the hard-workin’ steeds.”

She beamed. “Sounds perfect.” Juggling one of the apples in her hand, she began to step backwards, nodding as she walked and said, “Well, I better get going. Don’t want to be the one to hold up our entire convoy.”

“Mm”, he nodded with a raised brow, “Don’t think the Captain would take too kindly to that.”

A breathy laugh escaped her as she turned heel, calling over her shoulder, “Spirits forbid! I don’t even want to entertain the idea.”

As she marched back over to where Banlu and the weapons cart stood, diligently waiting, her curiosity piqued with a raise of her brows at the little pouch in her hand. Pursing her lips, she carefully nestled the cherry apples in the nook of her arm and opened her the treat bag. Delicate fingers reached in and pulled out one of seaweed-wrapped delectable triangles. She inspected it attentively, noting the central spot of ruby indented into the sticky rice, before critically popping it into her mouth.

The Fire Nation did a lot of things wrong, but _boy_ , if they hadn’t mastered the art of culinary. Despite their intense love of spice that she’d still yet to fully grasp an understanding of, Katara had been quick to develop a fine appreciation for their colourful fruits. As her tastebuds found the exquisitely juicy centre, she hummed in satisfaction. She hurriedly peered back into the bag, and groaned. Only three of these? She reckoned her hunger for them was insatiable. Great Tui, that cook was utterly _twisted_ thinking that the battalion could survive off of such a small morsel.

Nevertheless, she pulled the strings of the pouch shut, stowing it into her trouser pocket as she reached a very eager Banlu. He grunted softly as she drew out the apples one by one, nostrils flaring as he tried to move away from his restraints. Metal clacked in his mouth as his jaw moved methodically, tongue lapping out between his lips.

Katara smacked her palm against her forehead. “Oh, the bit – _ugh_ , I can’t believe I forgot. Sorry, buddy, I didn’t really think this through. Just… give me a moment.”

Lifting one of the apples to her lips, she took a bite, careful not to touch its surface as she dislodged the piece from the fruit. She picked it up, holding the bite-shaped slice flat in her palm toward the hungry dragon moose. She hummed a laugh as he practically sucked the piece up. “There, _much_ easier for you to eat now”, she praised, stroking his neck as his amber eyes glowed. “You like it?”

Continued grunting and nuzzling against her arm was all the answer she needed, and with a smile, she repeated the action. During the time in which she fed him the leftover core, a flicker of movement flashed in her periphery. Her head snapped around, and her eyes sharpened as she noticed Jet securing her with a very pointed look. She glared back, mouth down-turning at the way he tilted his chin appraisingly at her before slinking off, reed twirling in his mouth.

“What is his _problem_ ”, she muttered under her breath to Banlu as she stroked his nose. Silently, she hoped he’d lose focus and accidently walk off the side of the cliff. She’d never admit that out loud to anyone, though, especially to Aang. The poor boy would be absolutely aghast.

A short time later, a small gong rang out, and Katara turned to see one of the appointed corporals marching around the camp with booming voice, signalling the battalion off with the mallet in his hand. She sighed, dusting the leftover crumby mixture off her sticky hands.

Briefly, she let herself wonder what it would be like to have a leadership role like that. The Southern Water Tribe had never really accommodated for women in command, the only positions being that of Head Healer and Great Wife – the role given to the woman who called the Chief her husband; the role that hadn’t been filled in nearly a decade…

Taking a deep breath, she straightened up, pushing aside the irrelevant thoughts as she gathered Banlu’s lead. She could focus on far-off fantasies later. Right now, she had a Pass to traverse.

* * *

Glancing up at the overbearing, overwhelming blinding orb directing in the sky above, Katara was suddenly extremely thankful she’d made to preserve the _onigiri_ morsels, rather than scoffing them down in one fell swoop. She’d had the second one a good two or three hours prior, and was beginning so feel the forcefully sustained energy wear off. Breathing heavily, she used her free hand to dig around her pocket, into the pouch and shakily pull out the last _umeboshi_ rice parcel. She mewled pitifully as she held it up between her finger and thumb, bottom lip jutting out at its miniscule size.

She bit the top off, chewing ever-so-slowly as to savour the feeling of substance for as long as possible. It was astoundingly short-lived.

“Ugh, my _feet hurt…_ ” one of the Fire Nation boys, Izu, whimpered from ahead.

“Quit your whining, Izu; you sound like a petulant child. Just be thankful we’re walking downhill”, Aluk, a Northerner, snapped from his general vicinity, grumbling unintelligibly at the end. Katara watched as he bent away the sweat of his forehead with a flick of his wrist, eyes staring lazily out at the never-ending horizon.

Katara groaned. “How about the pair of you _shut it_ and focus on where you’re putting your feet?”

She’d barely had time to get into a glaring competition with Aluk, while Izu stumbled ahead of him, before Haru spoke up. “Hey, let’s all _calm down_ , okay? I think the heat’s starting to get to us.”

“You think?” several voices questioned at once.

The young man heaved a sigh, shaking his head as he looked up, exasperation written on his face. “Look, all I’m saying is, instead of _letting_ the heat get to us, how about we focus on something else to keep our mind off things?”

Katara glanced behind her to slide him a raised brow. “Like what.”

He smiled surreptitiously. “Well… I reckon we’ve all had enough of Gengsu’s singing—” 

“Hey! My singing is _peak_ entertainment. You’re all just uncultured.”

“— and I resolutely believe that another game of I Spy would end up with singed hair, so what if we all just tell stories of home? Ideas for the future? What you would be doing if the war didn’t exist? That type of sharing, you know?”

Wiping her perspiring brow, Katara glanced around to see there were no obvious objections. Everyone was too exhausted to argue against it, or come up with an idea of their own. In less than a day, they’d be in the thick of the violence. Having a small distraction from that and the unbearable heat, being able to ruminate on their easy lives before, would bring a brief, though much-needed, moment of solace. She looked back to Haru, smiling, and gave him an encouraging nod.

Soon, the small section of the astoundingly long line became the liveliest group the battalion had seen since they’d left Ba Sing Se. Katara found herself chuckling openly at Pao, a gangly earthbender, as he animatedly told the story of the time his mother had caught him doing some rather indecent activities.

“A-and then – oh Spirits, _her face_! You know when people say the colour drained from their face? Yeah, well, now I have a reference point for that. She just starting screaming bloody murder, and _Baba_ had to come up and literally drag her away by the mid-section. Suffice it to say, Qing Ma broke up with me afterwards, and she’s been avoiding me like the pentapus plague ever since. Last I heard, she’d joined a _brothel_ ; just to get off the streets. How desperate have you gotta be!”

Katara’s humoured expression slowly hardened. A mixture of winces and snorts sounded following the anecdote; one guy in particular, chortling rather noisily “Women, I tell you. They’re either completely chaste nuns, or they’re selling their bodies on the streets. Two different levels of crazy. Thank Prithvi that men are able to rationalise things.”

“Hear, freaking hear.”

Chit Sang, who’d kept silent from his spot behind the cart until now, narrowed his eyes, a wry smile on his face. “I don’t think it’s wise to go and disparage them all like that. They’re pretty clever and level-headed when they want to be. My girl back home… oh, she can have her way about pretty much anything, if she sets her mind to it. She was often the brilliant mastermind behind our little teenage rebellion back when we were younger. Don’t go underestimating them.”

“Yeah…” a different voice, at least an octave higher, spoke up, “but that just shows how manipulative they can be. They’re like… crazy, evil geniuses.”

Another man hummed in agreement. “They’re psycho, the lot of ‘em. Do you reckon being cooped up inside, without any fresh air, doing chores all day messes with their brains?”

“It’s got to. This other night, my father came home after a night out with some colleagues. It was pretty late and so when he came home, he simply had a few pieces of fruit and then went to bed. My mother, however… oh boy, she was _not_ having it. She went completely crazy, bursting into the room, yelling at him about how she does all the work around the house, and he gets home and just collapses while she keeps running around. Like my father hadn’t been working to provide for us all day! Men have it incredibly hard, I swear”, the stout Earth Kingdom lad said, brushing a shining raven lock away from his face.

_‘Men have it incredibly hard_ ’, Katara’s thoughts repeated, dripping in mockery.

She had half a mind to bend the nearing bay up and down onto everyone’s head – save for Chit Sang – and give them her two silver pieces on just how many hardships she herself had faced. But, in a brilliant, abstract moment of self-preservation, she rationalised the gravity of her situation and _breathed_. As well as being a raging feminist, she was also a fairly apt actress. And right now, she had to remain in character.

Taking a steadying breath to control her rising blood pressure, Katara trained her face into nonchalance as she addressed the boy from behind her. “Yeah… but, I mean… I can kind of understand where she’s coming from. Your mother was working, too. And it’s not like _she_ got to have a night to herself. She _never_ stopped working. While I’m sure she is happy to provide for you and the rest of your family – because that’s what she’s doing. She’s providing; just as much as your father – I’m sure she has dreams and aspirations, more than just being a housewife.”

She paused briefly, shaking the memory of similar, more impassioned speech she’d given back home, all those months ago. She couldn’t allow herself to have that same level vigour, as not to draw attention to herself. Breathing deeply, she continued. “Women have their own minds and souls, too. They’re complex thinkers that delve into the detail that can easily be missed. They could bring so much more to the table if they had the chance to speak their truths. They’re vital members of society, and I think the world would be a _much_ better place if women had more autonomy.”

A few heads nodded along slightly, but most just snorted at her apparently preposterous suggestion. Aluk scoffed. “Oh please. That’s what their role in society is! To be obedient wives, doting mothers and efficient home-stayers. The whole psychotic nature, well… it’s simply how they are at birth. They’re all _far_ too emotional to think about things in the logical way that we do. Hence why we have a patriarchy. You should know that being a Chief’s son, Kuruk. The world would be in _shambles_ if women were running it.”

The echo of a growl rumbled in her throat, and Katara had a few words in mind about something that could be shambles within a few seconds. She’d barely begun to open her mouth when a familiar, hoarse and aggravated voice sounded up ahead. “Can you all be quiet with the sexist banter?! We have a major problem.”

Almost immediately, the convoy began to slow, and the chatter began to rise. Standing on her toes, the young waterbender glanced over the top of her peers’ heads to where the commotion was originated from, and her heart sank.

“Oh no…”

The slight, narrow path that had been declining for the past half hour or so completely disappeared at the Captain’s ostrich horse’s feet. It reappeared a significantly impractical distance away. The tide had come in. They were too late.

The muttering increased as soldiers began to realise the predicament, worried glances being shared among men as they eyed the deep blue water suspiciously. The older ones were shaking their heads disparagingly, hands resting on their hips as they gestured around and back in the way in which they came. The realisation collided agonisingly with Katara; they weren’t going to walk back the way in which they’d come… were they? She looked to Banlu, a wave of sympathy rolling over her as she noted his laboured breathing and shaking limbs. His breaths were coming out in a dry rasp, nostrils flaring as his head bobbed lightly with each exhale. She swallowed thickly, cooing in soft tones as she rubbed his sweat-slickened neck. If they somehow did manage to turn around on the impossibly thin track, there was _no_ way the aged dragon moose would make it back without collapsing.

From where the Captain was very audibly spouting out obscenities that would make a sailor gasp, she could see he was facing a similar dilemma. He’d dismounted off of his charcoal stead, and Katara could see the way in which creature’s wings were hanging semi-loose by its side, the way its head dropped as it nuzzled its master’s leg. Said master had one hand resting on the animal’s head, and the other rubbing his eyes as he conversed with a few of his officials. She could practically hear him grumbling from where she stood.

“Alright, you dramatic imbeciles… nobody panic”, a drawling, nasally voice that sounded like sandpaper on metal to Katara’s unprepared ears ordered, weirdly enough, with a tone of boredom.

Shivering at the sound, she watched as Pakku stepped forward into view, hands raised patronisingly (how he managed it, she didn’t know) as he continued to talk. “We’re not all in _dire straits_ , so you can all calm down, thank you very much. And Captain, I would appreciate you refraining from such language. It’s unbecoming of authority.”

All attention now diverted to him, he slowly brought his hands to clasp at the front of his tunic. “This is a simple problem with a simple solution. Those of you who are waterbenders, please make yourselves known with a raised hand.”

Katara took a great, unadulterated joy in watching the disdain on his upper lip as her hand immediately shot into the air. She flicked eyebrows up at him, eyes narrowing, lips drawing into a smirk as she goaded him on silently, but entirely smugly. His lips thinned as he reluctantly looked away to the other clueless volunteers. Oh, he was having an absolute field day at her silent declaration, and she was positively _living_ for it.

After assessing that there were about ten to fifteen benders, he nodded, eyes rolling. “Limited numbers… of course… I suppose I’ll be doing the brunt of the work then, hm?”

Not awaiting a response, he continued. “I want you all to be evenly spaced out along the stretch of the battalion. Wait… a moment”, he injected as people began to move, “I haven’t yet finished… As I was saying, _once_ you are all regulated at an even distance from one another, you will be responsible for making sure the rest _don’t drown_. Spirits help us all. I will lead, and in unison, we will use a combination of right and left Seagrass Form, with an exaggerated and _inverted_ Maelstrom between. In doing this, we will be providing a large air bubble to grant us all safe passage through the water.”

As Katara nodded with recognised severity and the _slightest_ inkling of eagerness, a few cautious eyes glanced around at the proposition. No one dared to voice their concerns however. Except for one.

“Master Pakku, in case you conveniently forgot, this is _my_ battalion… _my_ command”, the Captain bristled as he glared down the presumptuous older man. “I don’t appreciate you hijacking said command and overriding my orders before I’ve had the chance to announce them.”

In contrast to the younger, red-faced leader, the waterbending master looked eerily calm at the alleged claim of disloyalty, staring up with piercing ice-blues into the Captain’s. “Oh, my sincerest apologises… _Captain_ Zuko… Did you have a more effective plan in mind regarding getting across this body of _water_?”

Even from a distance, Katara could see the way the young man seized up at his words, eyes flashing as he recoiled ever-so-slightly. It was incredibly subtle, his change in demeanour, but she could see clear as day as his steadfast advances began to shut down. The untrained eye would’ve missed it entirely.

Wait. When had _her_ eye become trained to his mannerisms?

Smirking with every bit of worldly satisfaction, Pakku replied snidely, “Shall I continue then?”

The Captain paused for a moment, clearing his throat as he bowed his head and gestured flounderingly to the other man. “Y-yes… proceed.”

He gave the slightest twitch of a nod, turning slowly back around to face the mass. “Now, where was I… Oh, yes: as incorrect form could lead to a very harrowing death for those who do not know how to swim”, he sighed, as though death upon his conscience was the most excessive inconvenience, “I shall quickly demonstrate and remind you all of exactly how these forms are executed. Remember: hands pliable at all times and _inverted_ Maelstrom – the last thing we want is for a torrent of water to be pulled down upon us a hundred feet under the surface… now, let’s take a look at those forms.”

Katara watched closely as she mirrored the swaying arc and upwards swirl of his hands, letting her entire body flow with the process. She grimaced as some of the movements felt somewhat stiff and uncoordinated, and focused her entire being on perfecting the technique until she felt satisfied it matched Pakku’s practiced precision. Glancing around, she watched as slowly, but surely, the other benders came into synchronisation, until they all appeared carbon copies on one another.

Exhaling his sigh of approval – the slight difference being an upward lilt in the vocalisation – Pakku pursed his lips and nodded. “I suppose that’ll be adequate to ensure we don’t all drown.”

“ _Adequate_?!”

“Quiet…”, he glared pointedly at the voice behind Katara. “Everyone, assess where the other benders are and space yourselves out accordingly. Once I’m satisfied with the range, we’ll begin. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” a chorus of voices rang out.

Katara, however, simply nodded, eyes shifting to the old waterbender’s left, where the Captain stood with a glaringly odd expression on his face. His eyes were narrowed fiercely, and his mouth drawn into a thin line as his arms crossed over his chest, yet… there was a slight quiver on his features that she just knew he was fighting against… in some inexplicable way. Like he was having to physically restrain himself from acting out.

In that moment, he looked up and directly into her gaze, slight amber eyes shining at her like small suns. She immediately flickered away, blaming the stuttering heart of hers on being caught staring. Beside her, Banlu nickered softly, and she breathed a chuckle as she busied herself with adjusting his straps. The old creature looked at her with inquisitive eyes, blinking his long lashes slowly. She smiled, brushing his forehead once before patting his neck.

“You’ll be a good boy, huh? Keep an eye on Aang for me”, she urged softly.

“Katara”, a whisper came from the cart, and as she peered around her stead’s neck, she watched as Aang stuck his serious, little face. “Aren’t you staying with us?”

Smiling, she walked over opening, arms held wide as she gestured for him to her awaiting embrace. He shifted toward her before moving back, expression wary as he glanced around suspiciously. Cooing, she went to him. “It’s okay. Everyone’s pretty preoccupied. I’m sure we can squeeze in a hug.”

A blinding grin split his face, and he bounded toward her, little arms circling around her neck. She placed a supporting hand underneath him, the other coming up to stroke from his head down to his back. “I’ll only be a few paces ahead of you, but I’m sure I’ll be able to come back and check on the two of you throughout the walk.”

He pulled away, mossy eyes sparkling excitedly. “I overheard what Pakku was saying. Katara, that is _so_ cool.”

She couldn’t help the smirking grin as she looked down at him. “It _is_ pretty cool, huh? I’m just so excited to finally do some proper bending.”

“I wish I could”, the little lemur said, face screwing up into a pout.

“Hey”, she snorted as she gently flicked his ear, “I’m sure there’ll be plenty of opportunity to spread your wings on the other side of this. You’ve just gotta be patient.”

“Okay, firstly: they’re not wings; it’s called patagium. Secondly, patience is boring.”

“Patience is a virtue”, she said, “and anyway, didn’t the monks teach you all about relaxation and meditation? It’s in your blood.”

He let out a small bark of laughter, gliding back over to his roost as he fixed her a teasing look. “Aren’t you supposed to be demure and docile? Pretty sure that’s in _your_ blood.”

He let out a high-pitched yelp as Katara flicked a splash of water at him, waving his arms and ‘patagium’ erratically as he struggled and failed to find balance. The waterbender snorted after he fell back into the cart, getting up again to glare at her through piercing eyes. Her finger waggled at him in response, and from there, turned her back. As she moved forward and toward the water, her smile dropped as she saw Pakku raise his arms high above his head, swaying them from side to side. The water began to obey, rocking exponentially larger until it began to part, and the old waterbender stepped in time with it. As the Captain called out for the other waterbenders to ready themselves and for the convoy to start moving, reality tested its claws against her skin, sending shivers down her spine. She inhaled deeply, filling her chest to the brim.

“Oi, Water Boy.”

Glancing behind as she began to take steps, her face hardened to see Jet staring coldly at her. She watched as his eyes flickered toward the cart before resting back on her. He was smirking, sure… but there was nothing behind it. It was entirely devoid of emotion, and that was what sent her nerves to a chill.

It widened menacingly, and for a heartbeat, Katara felt a chilling unease. “Don’t go letting us drown, would you?”

She growled back, straightening proudly as her arms began to flow with the rising waves, feeling her chi glide along its smooth path, touching every nerve until she was ignited. Fixing her eyes on the land rising above the water in the distance, she took a deep breath and surged forward.

_‘Guess you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?’_

* * *

Katara’s eyes crinkled with a smile as her lip quirked up in excitement as her arms worked her element. Now _this_ was how you did waterbending. The ocean shimmered on all sides of her, light catching and bouncing off dashing fish as they swam past on all sides; and as she looked up, she smiled widely and openly at the rippling ball of light well above their heads. No better word described the way it felt to be completely and utterly submerged in the beauty of her element than ‘enraptured’.

“Amazing…” she breathed lowly, shaking her head in awe as a pair of black marlins shot through the ocean, gliding along the current.

“Yeah, I sure can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything quite like this.”

Careful not to break her pattern, she turned her head to smile at Haru as he came to flank her. “Even as a waterbender, there’s just something completely daunting but exhilarating about being surrounded by such a wide expanse of something. Must be _crazy_ for you.”

He hummed, looping his thumbs into the strap of his belt, glancing around as he walked. “Yeah, that’s for certain. Just goes on forever…”

“It really makes me realise just how small we are, doesn’t it?” she said with a quiet smile. “This great big blue is just a puddle, really, in contrast to the rest of the world. Yet, here we are, completely and utterly engulfed by it… seemingly never-ending.”

His brow quirked. “I… suppose?”

She flushed with a breathy, unsure laugh, turning back around to hide the redness of her cheeks, focusing rather on the way in which the path began to ascend once more. She couldn’t help the small huff at having to leave this underwater paradise so soon, glancing at its absolute simplistic beauty and ingraining it into the mind. Spirits knew when she’d see water like this again.

“Must be nice for you.”

She snapped out of her reverie, careful to make sure her movements continued flowing. “Hm?”

Keeping the majority of her focus on the path in front and water surrounding them, Katara listened out to the young man behind her. “I mean, being able to do some bending. And… bend for a purpose, you know?”

“Yeah”, she smiled. “It definitely is. I don’t get to do it much.”

“Really?”

She paused, glancing off into the now eerily clear water. “It’s… not really in my job description back home. I don’t exactly have liberty over choosing my profession, either.”

“But… I mean, you’re the _chief’s son_ ”, the confusion in his tone was palpable. “Surely you can do mostly anything you want?”

“It’s not exactly that simple.”

“How is it…” he trailed off, pausing. “That’s… weird.”

Rolling her eyes, she flicked him a quick look. “Hey, maybe it is a bit, but _life_ is weird and—”

“No”, he interjected, placing a hand on her shoulder as he pointed outward. “Look. What’d you see?”

Quickly glancing quizzically at him over her shoulder, she turned to look outward at the extensive, crystal-clear cerulean waters. “Uh… the sea?”

The shaking of his head connected to his hand upon her. “The sea, and nothing but.”

“I saw a pair of swordfish just a few minutes ago.”

Haru sucked in a breath, and one that was somewhat shaky. “Earth Kingdom waters are _teeming_ with wildlife. There should be flying fishopotamus all around us, and certainly more than one school of fish. We shouldn’t be seeing creatures every now and then; we should be seeing them constantly…” he trailed off, glancing around warily. “Something’s not right.”

Her brows knotted and eyes downcast as memories and thoughts raced through her mind. “Back home, when we hunted fish and smaller sea creatures, we’d keep track of which fishing spots garnered a larger bulk… Areas that were generally less popular we often found had little vegetation or plankton… or—”

“Higher predation”, Haru finished for her in a small whisper, green eyes widened in alarm.

Swallowing, she musted up her courage and remained unshaking, looking Haru dead in the eye and she reaffirmed, “Okay… so… maybe there’s something in this water. It is clearly big enough to scare away flying fishopotamus and large fish… doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a threat to us. Not all apex predators are dangerous to us.”

“Kuruk… it’s scared off everything in the area. Or worse yet, it’s eaten them.”

“Let’s not go jumping to conclusions”, she said, arching her arms up as she did so. “Besides, we’re on our way up now, and it’s getting steep. We should be out to the surface within ten minutes.”

“If there’s something in here with us, we may not _have_ ten minutes.”

She opened her mouth to respond when a yell from further back startled her into silence. “Yo! Anyone else see that?!”

Louder chatter surfaced as people began to turn to the voice. Katara could practically hear the eye roll from Pakku as he called out, “Decorum, please, gentlemen. And _focus_.”

“Holy friggin’ pig cow! I saw it too!”

Eyes darting up to the front, Katara watched as the Captain, hardened expression and all, wheeled his ostrich horse around to see what the irking dilemma was. Like foreboding, darkened clouds, his expression slowly gave way to one of quiet horror, mouth opening as his chest rose rapidly. He whipped around, and when he screamed to Pakku, there was a sense of unfamiliar panicked urgency in his voice that froze Katara’s blood. “Pakku, run! Bend this water as fast as you can! We have to get out _now_ ; and whatever you do, _do not stop and don’t look back_!”

Immediately, the waterbending master darted his gaze around to the source of the Captain’s terror, and it was instantly reflected in his own eyes. He yelled out to the benders to follow his lead, and he picked up to an impossible pace as he began a sprint that Katara knew to be aided by adrenaline. She could hear the Captain yelling orders of ‘run’, ‘go’, ‘don’t stop’ and more urgent encouragements to his men. The panic was contagious, and as everyone began to herd into the hysteria, the young waterbender stayed still, save for her arms, as people began to shoulder painfully into her. The splash of falling water signified the neglected duties of benders, and she focused all the more on her own movements.

Chest heaving with her racing heart, she controlled her breathing as she began to turn back for the restricted Banlu. He was visibly disconcerted by the outrageous movement around him, and his amber eyes darted wildly as he pawed the ground. From the cart, Aang was looking directly at her with blown, questioning eyes as he tried to airbend water back upward. Just past him, she looked down in horror to see eight terrified and pained faces on the ground. Within the initial rush, people had been in such a hurry to save their own skins, they’d trampled others.

“Kuruk!” Haru screamed in her ear, grabbing her roughly as he pulled her around. “What are you doing?”

“Let go!”, she yelled back, eyes staring stubbornly at the dragon moose. _Her_ dragon moose. “I have to get Banlu!”

“Yan-dammit, man! He’ll be okay; he’s got four legs, and he’s a mighty lot faster than us. Have you seen what we’re running from?!”

She gritted her teeth, pulling against his ridiculously stubborn strength. “No, and I don’t care if it’s a megatiger-shark! I am not leaving without Banlu, and I _have_ keep bending!”

“Idiot”, he said, suddenly lowly as he grabbed her chin and forced it around. “ _Look_. There’s our bloody apex predator.”

Rolling her eyes and biting back the comment on unnecessary force, she stared at her designated line of vision. Something in the water, just slightly greener hued than its surrounding environment, was pelting toward them at full speed, sliding along the ridge of the seabed. Suddenly, it was there, serrated-teeth baring mouth open, as it sliced across their tunnel of air not too far from Katara’s left. A torrent of water dropped down onto screaming heads, and Katara watched on helplessly as half of the food cart disappeared with a crunch. It was a overwhelming relief when she saw the cook looking on, utterly traumatised, but very much alive.

The previously niggling sense of reality was now jarringly harsh upon her, and as Haru began to drag her toward the land above, she gritted her teeth and hissed out, “Let. Me. Go _.”_

“You’re insane”, he replied, fingers tightening around her arm.

“Maybe so, but I said to _let. Me. Go_.” Her eyes narrowed relentlessly at him.

In amongst the chaos raging around them, he managed to stutter dumbly at her. It was all she needed to rip her arm out of his grip. As though awoken by the movement, he frowned worriedly at her. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“Then so be it”, she answered plainly, gesturing to the people behind them in between her bending. She hadn’t stopped yet. “I will not walk away while there are others in need. I would never be able to live with myself.”

It was as though all of sudden, Haru actually took a moment to glance around, and immediately, his face softened. In resignation, in resolution. He closed his eyes, nodding as he fixed her a look. “Okay, then I’ll stay with you.”

“I’m a _waterbender_ , you idiot”, she hissed, glancing to the side as a flash of green beyond them sent her nerves into a spike. “I can take care of myself under here. You cannot.”

“Well, I’m not just leaving you.”

Suddenly, an idea formed in her racing mind. “You’re an earthbender, right?”

He looked at her though she’d suddenly grown an extra two heads. “Yeah? What’s that got to do with anything?”

Gestured with a butt of her head, she pointed to the people behind them. “We’re standing on earth right now. Grab as many of them as you can and bend the land up. I saw Sitka among them, and he’s still bending water. He can provide you with a cover to get to the surface, and from there, you guys can get to shore.”

He nodded as he absorbed the plan. “Okay. What’re you gonna do?”

“Buy the rest of you some time while I figure out something else.”

He raised a brow. “… You… haven’t figured anything out yet?”

They both let out a cry, ducking, as water crashed stingingly into them. A thud near them saw a body hitting the ground, and Katara gasped as she recognised Gengsu groaning, verging on the brink of unconsciousness, blood dripping from a cut on his forehead.

“I’ve got a few that I haven’t finalised yet, but we don’t have time”, she urged shakily, forcing her aching arms to continue their circles. “Go, _now_ , while you still can.”

He seemed at a raging conflict, shaking his head as he squeezed his eyes shut. She watched as he hit a resolve, green eyes hard and true as he placed his fist near her collar. “I can probably manage three people max, but I’ll get help.”

“Just— Haru, _go!_ ” she screamed, breathing a small sigh of relief as he ran toward the injured and dazed stragglers.

She turned her head toward the upward slope, watching as people got higher up and further away. Some of the waterbenders were still going despite the muscular ache Katara knew was paining them. There were people leaning on others, draping arms over each other for support as they limped. It appeared that sound sensibility had returned as they’d gotten closer to safety, and beyond where Katara stood, there were no helpless people stuck or left behind except for Gengsu, who laid a few feet from her.

Turning toward where the others laid injured, she watched on as Haru hauled people onto his shoulders and dragged them toward a gathered spot. Sitka’s haggard breathing could be heard from where she stood, but still, he lifted his shaking arms above his head and continued the motions. Haru placed a hand firmly on his back, steadying the weakened waterbending, and with one last nod to Katara, he got into horse stance and began to push them up toward the surface. She breathed a quick, small sigh of relief.

A shadow passed over her, and she started as she watched the massive, monstrous creature glide over them, circling back around as it eyed off the small makeshift island above.

_‘Serpent’s Pass. It couldn’t be the Otter Penguin’s Pass, could it?’_

“Okay, Katara: think, think, think, think”, she muttered, squeezing her eyes shut as she shook. Head whipping around to the way-too-distant safety of shore, she saw that most of the path had been sealed off; only slight gaps of air guided the smallest of pathways. Maybe big enough for a young woman on the short side and a little lemur-boy, but certainly not big enough for a group of fully-grown men. Certainly not big enough for a dragon moose.

Gengsu groaned beside her, Banlu stamped his feet and bellowed, the weapons cart of absolute paramount importance stood behind him, some men weren’t moving an inch, and the looming shadow of the serpent was never too far away.

“Good La”, she chuckled nervously, taking in quick, short breaths. The air was suddenly feeling entirely too short on oxygen.

Suddenly, a weight landed on her shoulder, and she glanced up to see Aang looking at her with serious round eyes. “Katara, focus, okay? Breath in through your nose, out through your mouth. One thing at a time. You can do this.”

“I-I don’t know, Aang. I don’t… I can’t…” she trailed off, mouth stuttering silently. “I… I-I don’t know what to do. There’s too much.”

“You told Haru you were going to buy him some time”, he said, moving around to fly in front of her face. “Take heed of your own instructions. Buy _yourself_ some time.”

Forcing her desperate lungs to take longer and more controlled pumps, she lifted her chin, straightening her posture as she looked around. There was just so much, so _many_ she had to protect, she didn’t even have her own hands to do it…

Hands. Free up her hands so she could move and gather them all together into one small area. That was it. That would buy her time.

When she spoke, her voice was steady and sure. “Aang, go keep Banlu calm for me. This is going to stress him out.”

His mouth quirked at the corner, and with that, he whirled around and over to the flighty dragon moose.

Looking at the violently disrupted water around her, and the serpent snaring open its long mouth to reveal the flickering tongue, she shifted her weight out to a fighting stance and balanced back in waiting. She felt the water bowing to her command around her as she stared down the serpent, eyes narrowing in resolve as it turned toward their small bubble of security.

Taking a deep, measured breath, she sunk into supple knees and smirked dangerously. “Come and get it.”

It went off, charging through the water like a bolt of lightning directly toward her. She stared unwaveringly into its horrifying eyes, flexed her jaw as its own widened ominously. Beside her, Gengsu whimpered, muttering unintelligibly, but the fear was obvious. She could hear Aang’s cooing as Banlu bellowed louder, the scrap of wheels tryingly dragged across the uneven ground. The sound of her own heartbeat drowned her ears, and she let her body become the very element she controlled. She reached into the molecules, feeling every single drop bend to her will as the serpent took up the majority of her vision, every single tooth visible to her.

_‘Now!’_

* * *

“Seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine …” Zuko trailed off, and the stress multiplied tenfold. “Agni… we’re missing ten.”

He turned to Pakku, and the two shared a look of absolute horror. The older man raised a shaky hand up to his chest, eyes fluttering shut as he pressed against his heart. “Poor souls. May the spirits of those before us light their way.”

Feeling a righteous fiery fury consume his chest, he shoved Pakku roughly. “I told you to keep bending! You should have kept bending! Are you kidding me right now with this crap?! You had the power to keep a path going, but you chose to save your own sorry arse instead!”

He looked at him with some type of frustration that was oddly akin to pity. “You know very well that I alone couldn’t have kept that up. I tried, in vain, but it was already a stretch trying to manoeuvre that many people along the bottom of the ocean. And now it’s revealed that a reason it was all the more difficult is that I lost a couple of my benders in the process.”

His eyes widened and he took a step back. Suddenly, he was trying to remember if he’d seen a certain face in amongst the safe evacuees. “…Which… which benders.”

The Northerner’s ice-blue eyes lost some of their chill as he looked upon the captain. “Sitka and Kuruk. They’re unaccounted for.”

Teasing sapphire eyes and a blindingly bright smile flashed across his mind. It felt as though the wind had been knocked out of his chest as he staggered back in shock, dragging a hand up through his unkempt topknot. He stared resolutely at the ground, trying to gather his senses back into a professional manner. His eyes didn’t shift as he asked with a raspy voice, “W-who else? Who else do we know of that didn’t make it back?”

He briefly registered a sigh. “Well… I’ve yet to see Mipam, Gengsu, Denki, Yifeng, Haru… Haru?”

The upward inflection caught his swayed attention, and with hazy eyes, he glanced up, only to stagger back a second time at what he saw. It was the smallest moment of awe before instinctual senses took over and he took charge of the situation. Straightening up, he yelled toward the crowd of shaken soldiers. “Men! We need help over here!”

After a pained minute of desperately reaching and exhausted benders pushing out their reserves, Zuko called for space as the miraculous island collided with their shore and trembling men rushed across, one being carried in the arms of the topical earthbender.

“Here, Haru, hand him to me”, Zuko insisted, taking note of the tired nod from the weary tanned man as he took his load. “Go sit up against the rocks; catch your breath.”

“N-no”, he choked, reaching a shaking hand to grip the commanding officer’s shoulder. He shook his head so fast it was practically vibrating. “No… No… they-they need help.”

“As do you. Sit down; we’ll have Pakku and the rest of the medicine team look you over.”

The grip tightened so much so that it elicited a small wince from the man. Haru forced him to meet his wild green eyes as he jutted his head toward the dangerous waves. “ _They_ … need help. Down there.”

He had a sharp intake of breath, eyes darting to the world beneath that they’d just escaped. In a brilliant moment of word association, he glanced back up to Haru, eyes blinking rapidly. “Are the rest of them down there? The other six?”

The rattled man nodded again, swallowing thickly as he pointed a shaky finger toward where a large green fin broke the water surface. “Kuruk bought us four time. He’s watching over the others down there, plus the weapons cart… I-I don’t know how much longer he can hold up.”

_‘He’s alive. They’re all alive.’_

The ominous ‘for now’ followed his brief release of relief, and he immediately turned to stare down the treacherous water. Kuruk was strong and determined, and Zuko knew he wouldn’t go down without a solid fight so long as he was able to breathe, but he was just one man, trying to protect five injured men plus an undoubtedly startled dragon moose against a relentless force of nature and unbelievably powerful creature. It was only a matter of time before something gave and it’d be over for all of them. They had the smallest window of opportunity to be rescued, and if there was a time to act, it was now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone drum roll for.... PANIC TIME YEW  
> but omfg, writing the last 4k words of this chapter was soooo fun (did it all in one day and jfc i blame the three cups of coffee id had before 1pm). badass katara is absolute god tier, and rlly loved exploring more of her relationship/minor crush on haru.   
> zuko is precious babie   
> jet is trash 
> 
> Im a sucker for any and all comments, kudos, and everything in between, and they always make me grin like an idiot. *mwah*
> 
> AYE SO THIS IS A TWO PARTER (we stan cliffhangers here yewww)  
> NEXT CHAPTER: katara is still struggling in troubled waters (yeah, now you know LITERALLY), zuko hatches a plan to rescue the stranded soldiers, and jet is being a shady bitch


	14. Belly of the Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still trapped beneath the waves and surrounded by a very hungry serpent, Katara has to race against the clock to get herself and her fellow soldiers out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess what?! IM NOT DEAD  
> yayyyyy... *proceeds to grovel in shame with tears in eyes*  
> okay, i am literally so sorry that i havent updated in so long. I dont have reasonable excuse but to say i hate writer's block and 2020 hates everyone. 
> 
> i do sincerely hope you're all okay with the amount of pure shit this year is throwing at us already (particularly covid19. man wtf). if any of you feel lost, or worried, or alone at all, my inbox is always open, and I'm always down for a chat. only way we're gonna get through all this is together <3  
> hope you enjoy the chapter

Katara praised herself on her unflappable ability to believe in her own cause no matter who or what suggested it otherwise impossible. She treaded the fine line of fervent confidence and bull-headed recklessness on a daily basis, and did so with a permanent smirk on her face. However, if she was being entirely honest with herself, the move she’d just pulled off had been executed with nothing but a slightly vague idea and hell of a lot of foolhardy hope. Really – it had been entirely on a whim, and she was now practically laughing from delirium. Not quite, but almost.

Now, she stood, limbs shaky from shock and overuse, gaping up at the monstrously large ice dome now encasing them. Well… monstrous circumstances required monstrous solutions. And even more absurdly, it had _actually_ worked, if the beast now screeching in the water beyond the distorted structure was of any indication. Katara smirked unabashedly as it shook its great head.

 _‘How you like me now, you ugly, oversized water-snake?’_ she hummed to herself, narrowing her eyes as it pulled away with a head still clearly sore from colliding with solid ice. _‘You come at me, I’ll come back tenfold.’_

While she was proud of her successful retaliation, the reality of the situation was lurking beneath the surface. _Literally._

A few feet from her, Gengsu was still incapacitated on the ground, curled into a foetal position as his face contorted in clear agony. To her other side, Aang was hovering in front of Banlu’s face, cooing to the agitated dragon moose as he stomped furiously into the ground, nostrils flaring. Just past her trusted companions were the other four unfortunate souls trapped beneath the waves: Denki, Seojun, Yifeng, and Tobio, who were all in various states of shock and injury. Katara’s expression hardened, and she dug her heels deeper into the rocky ground. Simmering in self-pride was not a luxury she could afford right now.

A splash of salty seawater fell from her ice dome above and landed right on her forearm. She gasped, and quickly made to fix the dent in the structure where the giant monster had just ploughed straight through. Only once the flare of panic in her chest subsided did she feel the sharp sting on her arm, wincing as it began to throb. Sparing a glance from the chaotic situation unfolding around her, she looked down and let out a small curse. There was a decent sized cut – no, _gash_ – gliding up the curvature toward her elbow. The water splashing into the laceration had given the blood trickling out of it new life, and was now flowing much more freely.

Somewhere amidst the panic, she’d gotten hurt; and since the adrenaline had partially worn off and that _delightful_ dousing of salt water had so _eloquently_ informed her, she was beginning to feel the full effect of the injury.

And _Holy Spiritual Tui and La Up Above_ , it _hurt_.

“Okay, okay, okay… come on, Katara”, she muttered to herself, pushing past the pain through gritted teeth. “Think. You have a murderous, frankly hideous serpent trying to make a snack out of you and your friends. You’re stuck a few hundred feet underwater with nothing but a large-scale igloo between you, said serpent, and certain death. You’re the only one who can bend, and is in a position to do anything. Basically… you’re screwed… Yep…” she nodded half-dazedly, watching as the serpent circled their small enclosure like it was trying to decide which appetiser to go with first.

She chuckled in the rueful delirium. “This is what I get for wanting an adventure, _hm_?”

 _Focus_. _You don’t have time to get bogged down right now._

Sucking in a quick breath, she made quick work of reinforcing an extra layer of strength around the ice dome before turning on her heel, running straight for the groaning air acolyte.

“Gengsu”, she breathed out, falling to her knees beside the pained soldier. His eyes were squeezed shut, fluttering through furrowed brows. Sweat and sea water mingled in with the nasty cut slicing across his temple, increasing the already rapid flow of blood trickling down his forehead.

No. No panicking; there wasn’t a second to spare for panic.

Okay. She had to think calmly and rationally about this.

Filing through her memories with a fervent speed, she recalled what they’d been taught in training, and the times in which she’d helped Gran-gran in taking care of the wounded hunters; times when there’d been some animal attack, or natural disaster, and there’d been too many victims to leave to the hands of a sole healer. Head wounds bled a lot and could often be misleading in terms of treatment – yes, she remembered that much, thank La. On one hand, a simple cut could bleed an extraordinary amount, yet be about as harmful as a cut on the finger; but on the other, such a small slice could be hiding much heavier damage underneath the surface, and damage that could easily become irreversible.

She had to act fast and figure out just which situation it was.

“Gengsu.” She grabbed his hand, careful not to hold him too tightly. “Gengsu, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand.”

A beat passed. Katara’s breath halted, thick and palpable in her throat. For those terrifying few seconds, there was nothing. Then, miraculously, like the heavens had just opened up, a small, trembling pressure came around her hand.

“Oh, Great Spirits”, she gasped, falling forward in the overwhelming relief. “Okay, okay, can you open your eyes for me? I know it hurts, I know”, she said when he groaned, closing further around himself, “but _please_. I need to check your pupils aren’t dilated.”

After another slow moment, his bleary eyes began to open, sheltering against the minimal sunlight beneath the water. Katara watched closely as the blacks of his eyes began to shrink in the light adjustment. She couldn’t stop the beaming grin.

“Okay, your head’s okay. Oh, gosh. Alright, is there any other pain elsewhere?”

At that, he coughed, his eyes screwing up in the effort. “N-no”, he rasped, breath shaky as his chest heaved, “well… nothing bad. Nothing I can pinpoint – just kinda… achy all over. And my _head_ …”

“Did you blackout at all?”

“I… I dunno… maybe for a second?”

“Do you remember where you are, and what happened?”

“I—yeah… Yeah, we were going underwater through the Pass, and—” he broke off to cough again, “and then this… _thing…_ came out of nowhere. It came right a-at me… and it… yeah… no, I remember.”

She hummed, brows furrowing as she ran her gently over his most critical and vulnerable points, checking for any lumps, cuts, or anomalies. “You probably have a concussion; judging by your symptoms, it’s not too severe, thank the Spirits. I don’t think you should be walking, though.”

“N-no,” he grunted, immediately trying to sit himself up, “I’m fine. I need to help you—”

“You need to do _nothing_ but _lie the hell down_ until we can get a proper medic to look at you”, Katara insisted no-nonsensically, pushing his shoulders back down with a gentle firmness. “I’m not taking any chances of you collapsing and becoming a dead weight, got it?”

The air acolyte snorted, though the action then caused him to grimace. However, he did seem to heed her words, and situate himself flat on his back once more, comedically straight as a rod. “Sir, yessir.”

Katara rolled her eyes. _‘Still got that ridiculous humour – he’ll be just fine.’_

“Alright – stay put, do not move, or I _will_ encase you in ice, got it? I need to figure out how I’m getting us out of this mess…”

She marched away before she could properly hear his response, eyes glued on the serpent circling above them malevolently. A chill coursed through her body as it opened its gruesome mouth again, as though taunting her with its intimidating rows of sharpened fangs. She pushed the image from her mind as she ran over to where the other four men laid in various states of injured. Thankfully, none of them were worse for wear – or worse than Gengsu’s state at the least – and Katara was ready to fall to her knees and praise whichever spirit had taken pity on them today when one of them, Seojun, revealed himself to be an earthbender. She very nearly kissed him on the cheek, which would have caused an entire myriad of new problems to arise that she _really_ couldn’t deal with right now.

Several hundred feet underwater; six people, one dragon moose-drawn cart carrying a _plethora_ of indispensable weapons, and a lemur; one person severely incapacitated and maybe critically injured, three unable to properly run, one in extreme shock and the other trying desperately to not dissolve into psychoneurotic laughter (i.e. herself); a fully operational waterbender, a semi-operational earthbender, and a secret airbending flying lemur-boy spirit… Holy flying hog monkey feathers…

A deafening crash reverberated in the walls over her head and she flinched, eyes shooting up to see a fresh crack in the dome from where the serpent had just butted its head into. They had to move, and they had to move _now_.

Thinking as fast as her legs could run, she sprinted over to where Gengsu still laid down, breath shallow and rapid as his squinted eyes followed the lurking monster. As soon as Katara came kneeling down beside him, a slight grin came quivering onto his face. “Oh, yay, Kuruk. You’re still here.”

“What, you didn’t think I was going to leave you down here”, Katara huffed, grunting as she pushed his knees up and reached across to grab his arm. Fixing him with a stern confidence she didn’t quite feel, she then said, “Okay; I’m going to lift you up on my shoulders now and put you in the cart. This may hurt.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if you _didn’t_ give me a heads up— _agh!_ O-ow…”

She hissed from the way the skin around her gash stretched from the intense exertion and groaned under the weight now on her shoulders, adjusting him so she could maintain a firm hold of his thigh and arm. “Just don’t move a lot and you’ll be fine. Sweet La… I thought you air nomads were supposed to be light…”

“I-it’s all p-pure muscle, I ca-an assure y-ou”, he said jarringly as Katara began to jog heavily toward the cart, feeling the strain on her calves and shoulders immensely. As they went, she lifted her free, injured arm and released a grunt as she resealed the expanding crack above them. It wasn’t soon enough that they reach the Banlu-drawn cart, and Katara began pulling apart the crimson drapes to the back of it, immediately wincing. Cannons, swords, bows, daggers, shuriken, clubs and spears – not exactly the perfunctory accessories for a makeshift medic cart.

She sighed, rounding her back as she began to roll Gengsu off her shoulders anyway. “Sorry – this isn’t going to be comfortable for you, but it’s all we’ve got.”

They both grunted as he somewhat fell from her shoulders, crashing lightly onto a bed of sheathed swords. Gengsu grinned through his wince, eyes quivering in the darker light. “What’re you on about? This is the best mode of transport I’ve had in weeks.”

“Glad you think so, ‘cause that’s what you’re riding out of here in”, she said with a brazen smirk. “Sit tight – we _are_ getting out of here.”

He hummed once then let his head fall back, hitting the cushion of boxed shuriken as his eyes fluttered close. With that, Katara nodded, running toward the front of the cart where Aang was currently amidst soothing a seemingly calmer Banlu. The little lemur swivelled his head toward her, eyes and mouth widening into a broad, yet questioning smile.

Katara nodded, brows furrowing over her quiet but assuring eyes. “I’ve got a plan.”

Aang’s grin then was positively _blinding._ “I knew you would.” He hopped further up Banlu’s neck, continuing to stroke the dragon moose soothingly as he said with bright, sparkling eyes, “What can I do to help?”

Her eyes darted over to her side, and she crossed her arms over her chest; mindful of hiding the gash from Aang. “I’ve just loaded Gengsu into the back – he’s pretty messed up and needs medical attention asap, but I think he’ll be safest in there. I’m going to help the others in, and they can help keep an eye on him as well as for that damned serpent. Seojun is a bender – earth – so he’s going to sit in the front and be our human cannon and fire boulders at the serpent if it comes too close. Meanwhile, I’ll maintain a smaller dome around us as we walk toward the surface – keeping it as water will allow us more agility, but a whole lot less protection. We can’t wait though; we’ll run out of oxygen if we do.”

His ears drooped, eyes darting off to the side uncertainly. “That’s… _really_ not the best plan.”

“If you’ve got a better one, I’d _love_ to hear it.”

His little spotted brows furrowed for a moment in contemplation, lips pursing. His face lit up, “We…!” before dropping off again, “yeah… I got nothing.”

Katara nodded, blowing a breath through her nose, turning her head to narrow her eyes at the ominous threat circling above them. “So, we go with what we’ve got, and we make it work. We _have_ to.”

* * *

For all her grandiose and stoic outer-confidence, Katara’s adopted mantra since they’d begun this increasingly dangerous mission was ‘ _don’t eat us, don’t eat us, don’t eat us; Sweet Spirits above, don’t eat us, don’t-‘_

It was getting repetitive, thundering along with the rapid beat of her worried heart; yet, in an odd way, it was grounding, and every step they took where they _didn’t_ end up serpent chow brought with it a glimmer of hope. It helped distract from her five-tonne arms and the numb ache now emanating from the hideous gash. That being said, salt water had a particular way of reminding her ‘hey, your arm is busted. Here’s the feeling of a dagger being driven into it, just in case you forgot’. She shuddered and winced against it, pressing forward with more purpose than before, and spreading her trembling arms strong above the small group’s heads.

She was in a constant turn, keeping her eyes sharp in all directions for the hungry serpent waiting just beyond her periphery. Her attention was occasionally captured by Gengsu’s groans or Denki’s hyperventilative rasp, which was quickly followed by the soothing hushes of Tobio and Yifeng. She spared worried glances their way before directing it Seojun, who sat in the front of the cart, leg propped sideways on it as he too redirected his focus on scanning the perimeter around them. Aang sat on the top of it like a surreptitious guardian; his watchful eye constantly skirting around with them as they marched toward the surface.

Since they’d begun, not a word had been uttered. Everyone’s minds were already loud enough.

So far, they had been lucky – only getting glimpses of the fluorescent green scales and wild eyes sparingly. The water around them had transformed, becoming lighter and lighter, and a prettier sky-blue as they drew nearer to the secure surface above. A scattering of silvery fish flashed by them, and the blossoming hope in Katara’s chest was almost constricting at this point. She watched them momentarily as they skittered past, scales glimmering as they disappeared into the foggy blue behind them.

The water shifted again, and she squinted as the sparkling school of fish reappeared, whizzing past their little bubble at breakneck speed. Her breath hitched, and she swallowed as she quickly turned her attention back to where they’d come from.

Initially, it was hard to pinpoint in the murky depths, but then, she saw it: the twisting, constrictive, long and overwhelming shape that became evermore distinctive as it raced toward them. She gasped.

“It’s on us!” she screamed, legs springing forward as she skirted back around to bend the bubble further along. She had to focus on getting them to the surface. “ _Hyah,_ giddup, boy!” she urged Banlu into a canter, now sprinting to keep up with his long gait. “Seojun, behind!”

“Got it”, he grunted as he hobbled on the wobbly seat, twisted around the side of the cart to punch a boulder straight out of the air and into the wall of water behind them. It would hardly cause any damage once it entered and lost momentum, but Katara hoped it would give off enough of a warning to deter the serpent.

Twisting her head around, she cursed. It hadn’t, and it was gaining on them. Fast. _Way_ too fast.

There was still too much distance between them and the land above. Desperation was rising in Katara like the whistling pitch of a kettle as she looked around her. She gasped, letting out a grunting yell as she flicked a quick ice torpedo out toward the serpent. Her breath was haggard from the overexertion, and she nearly cried as the beast nimbly dodged it. The men in the cart gasped her internal worries, their voices high and terse as they grouped together and huddled over Gengsu.

It was getting closer and closer, and Katara could almost see the gleaming teeth from here.

Another boulder went careering over her head, landing heavy and dull in the water with splash. Seojun yelled in frustration.

Banlu bellowed, his amber eyes showing the whites as he picked up a gallop; entirely indifferent to Aang’s shaking attempt at soothing him.

Gengsu’s breath shuddered as he glanced out, and even amongst the chaos, Katara could see his worn expression, squeezed-shut eyes, and the mumbled “I’m sorry, darling.”

The cart was going beyond her own supersonic sprint, and despite her destitute state, she felt a resolve claw at her insides, and her brows furrowed over her narrowed eyes.

In one crazed, penultimate action, she leapt into the air, twisting around herself as the water followed her command. Still became kinetic, fickle liquid became a hard place, and one became two.

She landed with a grunt, but on two stable feet with her arms held wide around her single-person pocket of air. Her head snapping around to the direction she’d been heading, a grin split her face. The cart-wide tunnel of ice, cut off from her and the wider sea, was connected straight toward the surface. It had worked… Miraculously, her stupid, spontaneous plan had worked.

Movement in her periphery sobered her quickly, and she swerved back around to face the impending serpent, hardening her gaze. The others now had a solid getaway toward sanctuary above, but it would only work if they weren’t in the captive stare of the sea-monster. Taking in a deep and appreciative gulp of the limited oxygen, she ran down the slope, screaming a silent war cry. Around her, the water bent to her will, forming into her artillery as she charged straight into the belly of the beast.

* * *

“Could we, I don’t know… splash the water and bait the serpent’s attention away from them so they can get away?”

“Not if you wish for that _bait_ to be alive at the end of it.”

Zuko huffed. “Then… have the earthbenders make a harpoon and kill it.”

“Fine… if you’re okay with condemning yourself and your men to be cursed by the spirits for all eternity”, Pakku deadpanned.

“ _Argh!_ Agni _dammit!”_ The Captain drew his hand back through his loose and sweat-matted topknot. He glared at the water, shaking his head in disdain. “I’ll swim in there and get them out myself if I have to.”

The older waterbender beside him merely raised an eyebrow. “Whilst I have no qualms about you diving headstrong and head _first_ into the waters, I have an obligation to tell you not to.”

“Thanks”, Zuko scoffed. “You know, you’re being _so_ helpful in this situation.”

“I’m sure you know that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, Captain.”

 _‘Oh, ho-ho, I just want to…’_ he thought with clenched fists, trying desperately to quell his inner fire. Sucking in a cool, revitalising breath into his lungs, he resumed his erratic pacing along the waters edge, continuously darting wild eyes to the lapping waves.

It had already been too long without the surface group taking action, and the knowledge of passing seconds that the six were still trapped beneath the waves was gnawing away at Zuko’s insides. They were truly running out of time, and out of practical ideas. With absolute suspicion, he eyed the misleadingly calm water before him.

He hadn’t been joking about jumping into the serpent’s territory to pull Kuruk out himself.

He stopped short. His _men._ Pull out _his men_. All of them.

“Captain, look! Under the tide!”

His head flicked around so fast, he felt a subtle whiplash sting in his neck. Sure enough, there was something beneath the water, pale and blurred, shooting toward the surface at breakneck speed. He jumped back, waving his arms at his men. “Get back!”

They barely had time to place a foot back when a large overhanging of ice erupted out on the shore, splashing water solidifying at and framing the jagged sides like a panda lily. There was a collection of gasps and shouts, and Zuko only stood in dumbstruck awe for a flickering moment before he surged forward to the base of it. What he saw absolutely had his jaw dropping.

There wasn’t time to bask in the overwhelming relief, nor the questions of how and why, though. He quickly swallowed his shock, stepping back to the side of the icy frame and gesturing madly at the group of intrigued faces. “Clear room, _now_ – it’s the other six!”

His heart was thundering in his chest along with the beat of the dragon moose’s hooves; the sound reverberating and amplified by the icy walls of the tunnel as the cart grew exponentially closer. His breath was coming out short and sharp, his eyes narrowed and honed in on the rickety vehicle as it bounced dangerously along the uneven terrain. Behind him, a small corral had been made through the men linking arms in a wide circle, holding strong and fast with focus on the tunnel’s opening.

The sound was almost deafening now, and Zuko sucked in a deep breath, directing his voice back whilst keeping his gaze locked, “Alright, here they come! Be ready to intervene if they need assistance stopping.”

“Yes, sir!”

And like a whale breaching, they burst from the tunnel’s entrance. The rest of the pod were immediately on them.

The panic-stricken dragon moose was heaving in raspy grunts, head high with the whites of his eyes flashing as his nostrils flared. He pranced agitatedly around as a few gentle souls broached him cautiously, hands held amicably as they spoke in hushed tones. Eventually, with the gentle squeeze of Seojun at the reins, the beast calmed down enough for the men to rush the cart, plucking the rescued souls from the structure. Without a note of hesitation, Zuko leapt into the fray.

He came up beside the front of the cart, sparing the dragon moose a gentle, grateful pat, and scanned his eyes of Seojun. He was wincing and breathing haggardly; movement in his periphery brought Zuko’s eyes down to where he clutched at his swollen, misshapen ankle. It was bent at an odd angle, and discoloured around the joint. The captain hissed.

Turning around, he pointed at a couple of young soldiers who stood by, watching with wide eyes. “You two.” Their gaze snapped to meet his. “I need help getting him out of there.”

“Y-yessir, Captain”, they saluted before rushing forward to each side of the cart’s frame.

Zuko focused back on the pale-faced Earth native before him. “You’ve dislocated your ankle. We’re going to need to get you onto the ground so I can pop it back in safely.”

“ _Hng—_ no”, Seojun gripped his forearm and ground out through gritted teeth. Green orbs peered out at him through fluttering lids.

Zuko merely rolled his eyes. “Yes, it’s going to hurt, but you’re definitely going to pass out from the pain if it isn’t set soon.” He paused, flicking his eyes to the awaiting soldiers on either side of Seojun. “On three, we lift him. Renshou, you’ll need to step over the framework and come onto this side before we carry him over. Alright… on my count.”

After Zuko counted down, they lifted him up with varying degrees of grunted exertion – Seojun made up for his lack of bodyweight in sheer height – and hobblingly carried him toward a nearby ledge. They gently laid him down with his back up propped up against the rockface. Zuko shimmied himself back around to kneel before the groaning man, his lips drawing into a thin line at his ashen face. Sighing, he reached behind his back, undoing the leather strap that held his broadswords. He pulled it back around, presenting it taut in front of Seojun’s face. “Hold this between your teeth.”

He grunted again, shakily pulling himself further upward. “But… _Captain— mph!”_

Zuko seized the opportunity and placed the hard leather between the young soldier’s grinding teeth. “Just trust me. It’s better to get these things over with... You… may want to hold something.”

Seojun continued to mumble in protest, but nonetheless gripped the overhanging sides of the sword strap with white knuckles. Zuko positioned his hands accordingly on the injured leg, holding steady as he kept the earthbender’s eyes on him. “I’ll count it down… One… two—”

There was a muffled clicking sound, and Seojun groaned against the readjusting bones; Zuko frowned understandingly as his face screwed up at sharp movement. After letting him catch his breath for a few moments, the firebender patted his leg – the non-injured one – and began to rise. With a furrowed, authoritative expression, he said, “The medic will be around to bandage you up soon. I need to go check on the others.”

“Sir”, Seojun gasped out, entirely exhausted but equally determined. “Kuruk… didn’t make it.”

For a second, the air around him froze, particles drawing into the only kinetic force of his beating heart. The relief he’d allowed to gradually blossom in his chest suddenly went hurtling out of him with a ricocheting force, and he exclaimed in hissed tones, “What?”

“That’s… what I’ve been trying to… to tell you.” His head fell back against the rock with a thump, and he groaned. “He… he managed to get… get us out, but… _argh_ … I think he used himself as a distraction… so we… the rest of us could get out…”

Zuko stared at him as though Ozai had presented him his mother, before promptly blowing away her mirage like dust. His lip curled, and questions began to rage through him with a turbulent wave of emotions. Why had Kuruk done that? Where was the smirking idiot now? Was he still trapped beneath the waves with the serpent? Was he even still _alive?_

Not being one who liked being kept in the dark, Zuko marched toward the water’s surface, pulling at the rest of his garments one by one and tossing them into a growing pile. The gleam of the shore was deceptively tempting, and he couldn’t help the image popping into his mind’s eye of a different scenario where he’d strip down to his _hakama_ or less, leaping into gloriously blue waters. But that was on a lax beach; with sand in his toes and the biggest danger being his own little sister (granted, still a very real threat). This was a small ocean containing a beast as big as a dragon. And as ravenous as one.

He was being rash, abrasive, and entirely bull-headed. But Zuko had been all those things his entire life, and he didn’t plan on stopping now.

“Captain, it wasn’t bantering jest when I advised against getting in the water.”

Zuko growled. _‘Literally, shut up.’_

“…No.”

Oh. He’d said that out loud.

...Screw it, he’d been wanting to say it for days at this point.

He rolled his eyes, hopping as he rushed to peel his socks off. “Kuruk is still down there. I’m not leaving any man behind.”

The audible sigh behind him sent a livid chill down his spine, and he wanted nothing more to do than graciously deliver the old waterbender a fist to the face. There was shuffling as Pakku then said, “You need to think about this rationally, Zuko. Think about this from the perspective of a _leader_ , not a soldier; you’re thinking too much like the latter. This is the fate of one man, versus the fate of the captain of an entire envoy. Would you really jeopardise leaving your men leaderless over one of them? One in a hundred?”

“Eighty-nine.”

Pakku raised an unbothered brow at him. “Pardon?”

Zuko, for his part, wheeled around with a blazing intensity in his eyes, facing the master dead-on. “Eighty-nine men. And I sure as hell am not going to leave even _one_ of them behind if I can do something about it. I’m not going to be the kind of leader who just _gives up_ when things get rough. I _refuse_ to.”

Pakku eyed his fervent declaration with mild disinterest, sighing, _again_ , before crossing his arms over his chest. “How noble of you… Very well. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Zuko hardly heard such warning, as he was already running down the side of the ice tunnel, leaping over the water until it was deep enough to plunge into. For the middle of summer, it was startling fresh, and the chill hit him like a slap to the face as he dove further and further into the waves. Water collected in his pants was already beginning to weigh him down, and it would increasingly difficult to swim up to the surface, but he’d much rather risk drowning than being blindly attacked from below. 

So instead, he let the extra weight work its aquatic gravity, and he sunk deeper into the blue, eyes wide open and sharp as he fought his own blurry vision. All around him, the omnipresent blue gradually become darker, foggier, and his eyes began to ache from the rising pressure. Something wasn’t right. His paused in his repetitive strokes, frowning at the space around. The very spacious and empty space. The entirely too quiet space.

Glancing further down and beneath his body, he was able to clearly make out the path in which they’d taken. Aside from a few indents in the ground, there wasn’t a single sign of human life, nor serpent alike. He wasn’t remotely sure what Kuruk’s grand plan had been when he’d offered himself up as live-bait; whether there’d been some ingenious idea conjured up to play around with the serpent until he could catch a break away, or whether it had been some heroic act of sacrifice…

No; he shook his head. Kuruk wasn’t that stupid, surely.

And even if the serpent _had_ … you know… it would’ve hardly been satiated. It would certainly still be lurking around the shallows to see if it could pick up any more canapes.

But where in Agni’s name was it?

Feeling his lunges tighten in the stale amount of oxygen left, he made one last cautionary glance down before risking it toward the surface. His limbs felt heavy and useless as he persevered toward the top, refusing to stop until he cracked it, bursting from the waves with a gasping breath. He didn’t allow himself more than a few seconds to consolidate his oxygen-deprived body.

He was just about to dive back under when suddenly, a large torrent of water erupted from the bay a hundred or so feet away from him. A gasp left him, and he quickly backpedalled through the water, watching in horror as the looming figure of the serpent reared its massive head above him. It was somehow so much more terrifying out of its own element, lacking the distortion of being underwater that maintained some of the mystery. This thing… was true malevolence, and as it turned to snarl a screech right at him, Zuko couldn’t help the niggling inquiry of ‘ _really?_ This _is how it ends?_ ’

Zuko was nothing if not stubborn though, and he would sure as hell be equally stubborn if the serpent decided he looked appetizing. He would not go quietly, and as his legs continued to tread water, he raised his hands, ready to blast fists of fire when the beast inevitably lunged. He’d deal with the repercussions afterward; assuming there was to _be_ an afterward.

“ _Captain!”_

Despite the danger of his imminent doom, he turned at the voice yelling out to him. And holy _shit._

Whizzing at a velocity beyond measure, careening toward him from behind the ominous threat of the serpent, was Kuruk. He was somehow walking – no, _running_ on the water. Except he wasn’t running; aside from their constant shift for balance, his legs were completely stationary. He was actually able to come to a full and complete stop, Zuko realised, as he whirled around to face the beast. Sinking in on his knees, he reached behind him and with an almighty yell, flung a wave up at the towering figure of the serpent. Zuko’s jaw dropped as it crystalized on impact, solidifying into a behemoth ice restraint around its neck. It shrieked in raw fury, and the crackling of the cold structure brought Zuko back from the dazed admiration.

Kuruk was by his side in a matter of seconds, stretching a hand out from his small platform of ice. “Take my hand!”

Zuko didn’t need to be told twice. He swam over, reaching to meet the proffered hand with the eagerness of a drowning man. With a shared grunt, Kuruk hoisted him onto his makeshift raft. It was expectedly slippery, and even more so cold, and Zuko was vaguely wondering how on earth he was supposed to stay on. Just as he was about to grumble to his rescuer about the haphazard conditions, the surface beneath him shifted. The temperature welcomingly warmed, and he started as he felt himself sink; it was only when he looked down that he saw the small area around his bare feet was more liquified, yet solid enough to act as a safety strap of sorts.

It was only when he felt a warm pressure squeeze his hand that he realised he still held Kuruk’s, who was now looking at him imploringly. “Are you okay?”

He met his intense lambent-blue stare, and nodded, saying with heavy, relieved breaths, “Yeah… Yeah, I’m good. Let’s just get out of here.”

“Best idea I’ve heard today.” The quietly confident smirk on his face then did something stupid to Zuko’s heart, and he watched silently as the waterbender released his hand. The freedom allowed him to stretch his arms out to the very fingertips, and the captain could practically feel the water being called around them. “Brace yourself.”

He shifted a foot back and bent his knees just in time for the raft to be sent rocketing forward. It skidded like a mere pebble across the water’s surface, the wind whipping around them and buffeting their now loose hair. Thankfully, they weren’t an outrageous distance from the shoreline, and soon began to zero in on the yelling crowd awaiting. Refraining from leaning on Kuruk for support, he carefully turned to look behind them warily. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Five o’clock”, he shouted to Kuruk above the whistle of the wind.

“On it. Grab onto me.”

They both reached for each other at the same time, gripping one another’s opposite forearm with an urgency. Immediately, the raft skidded around in a one-eighty, their grip tightening in the hurtle, before they came face-to-face with the oncoming serpent’s dorsal fin and let go. Zuko’s eyes darted incredulously to Kuruk as he just stood there, arms poised and face open, ready and awaiting.

Problem was there wasn’t any _time_ to wait. “The hell are you waiting for?!”

Kuruk’s attention didn’t waver; his blue eyes still locked onto the water and approaching danger. There was an eerie calmness to him as he said, “The right moment.”

For a few heart-stopping seconds, nothing happened. Then, everything did, all at once.

The serpent, barely thirty feet away from them, and certainly within distance of its gaping mouth, lurched out of the water. Kuruk snapped into action, gripping the water with the hand extended toward the serpent; the other curved back and came in a rapid arch around, bringing with it a torrent of water. The two forces met at the nape of the looming serpent’s neck, and instantaneously spread in a protective ice-cage around the animal’s structure. Zuko watched on as Kuruk grunted and groaned, knees shaking as he held his tensed arms in their position; it was with belated shock that he noted the ugly gash on his arm. Layers upon layers of ice were reckoning to his call, forming over the serpent’s head until it nearly faded from view. Only once the ice was almost opaque did Kuruk finally stop, gasping for breath as his entire frame shook.

He’d barely taken a few gulps of air before straightening again, albeit shakily; his face pulled into peaceful determination as the raft turned once more, drifting slowly toward the shoreline. “Alright… _now_ we can get out of here.”

Zuko almost laughed. Almost.

They pulled softly into the shore to be met with a raucous crowd of cheers and whooping, men pulling at each of them as they stumbled onto solid ground. Zuko brushed them off with fleeting thank-you’s and whispered smiles. His attention was focused elsewhere.

Shaky legs carried him over toward the weapons cart, where the medic had situated himself amongst the injured men. Upon his arrival, faces turned up to him; he noted that the Fire natives all bowed their heads in the typical fist-to-palm gesture. He nodded stiltedly in return.

Reaching the medic, he fixed the young waterbender with an authoritative resolution. “As soon as you’ve finished with your current patient, I’ll need you to come find me. I’ll be sitting with Kuruk.”

He barely waited for the ‘yessir’ before turning and marching straight back toward where he’d last seen the waterbender in question.

As he walked, a few more of his men sent giant grins his way, toasted invisible shots of _sake_ to him, and few daring souls even patted him on the back. He was dubious; he hadn’t been the who sacrificed themselves not once, but twice, nor was he the one to bend a small tsunami in the face of death itself. He hadn’t done anything at all, really.

He was surprised to stumble across Kuruk sitting against the rock face, smiling openly as a few of the other soldiers surrounded him; Zuko recognised Chit Sang, Haru, Tom-tom, Sitka and a smaller guy with wild jet-black hair and an equally wild grin. The waterbender’s striking storm-blue eyes were soft like a mid-summer rain, and his swollen lip was in an easy smile. His hair, normally in its warrior’s wolf-tail, now hung in loose waves around his face. He looked so… calm, at peace, as if he hadn’t just single-handedly fought off an infamous serpent. He did, however, also look incredibly tired. Zuko trained his face back into its habitual sour expression as he began the purposeful march toward them.

“No _way,_ dude, you’re totally downplaying it!” the wild-looking man spoke up, honey eyes shining in excitement. He turned to the other men, gesturing erratically all around him as he animatedly described, “He kept bending the entire time, and then – and I almost missed this ‘cause I was so convinced we were dead meat anyway – and then he just goes _woboosh!”_ he slammed his arms out to the side, “and suddenly, there’s this massive, like, underwater igloo over us. It was _insane_.”

Kuruk snorted, looking over at the young man with a faint bemused smirk on his face. “Here I thought you were too out of it to realise what was even happening, Denki. I was kind of worried about you, actually.”

He flashed a grin, winking as though he wasn’t the bumbling mess Zuko had seen hyperventilating on the cart not fifteen minutes ago. “Eh, it was pretty easy to start calming down once I realised we had a total badass with us.”

“No, but it’s…” Kuruk trailed off, before allowing the smallest of smug smiles onto his expression, “well… yeah, I guess I was pretty badass.”

The small group bursts into cheering laughter, thumping Kuruk on the back appreciatively, clueless to the concealed winces he was stifling. Raising an eyebrow at the display, Zuko chose that moment to announce himself, clearing his throat as he arrived at the scene. Immediately, all eyes were on him, and those four men who were standing presented a salute, all traces of previous mirth being masked with professionalism. Kuruk watched from the ground with a slightly amused expression, eyes flickering between commander and commanded.

After nodding earnestly, he calmly ordered, “At ease.”

They stood eagerly with anticipative expressions, awaiting whichever vital instructions he was about to give them. He cleared his throat once more, albeit somewhat stiffly. “I appreciate you’re all eager to hear the entire, lengthy anecdote of just how Kuruk removed himself and others from the situation, but right now, he needs medical attention… which any one of you would have noted had you taken the time to observe”, he said pointedly, directing his gaze and theirs to the open, oozing wound on Kuruk’s arm.

They had the decency to look affronted and ridiculously ashamed, bowing their heads solemnly starting profuse apologies to Kuruk. The waterbender laughed them off, but it was airy and way too light. “It’s fine – I’m not dead or anything.” His eyes flickered up toward Zuko’s, and the captain gave a stiff nod in response. “But… maybe it’s best you guys head off for a bit. Get yourselves checked out.”

They all hummed in response. Haru then leaned down, rested a steady hand on the shoulder of the unmaimed arm. “You’re crazy, and stupid reckless. Thank you.”

The subtle spark in Kuruk’s eye and the soft smile on his face made Zuko feel both light and dangerously low, like he was about to push someone into a wall. He felt like tan, luscious-haired earthbender would be a suitable choice. He shoved the feelings down though, and furthermore when Kuruk chuckled softly, “Anytime… Just… hopefully not _all_ the time.”

The five shared one last bout of laughter, smiling commendably at the waterbender before walking away. As Zuko went to stand beside Kuruk, he didn’t miss the wary glances thrown his way by the young private’s friends; nor did he miss the surreptitious way that Kuruk's eyes slid briefly down his bare chest before darting away like a startled rabaroo.

Once they were sufficiently alone, Zuko sat down into a crouch, nodding his chin toward the cut that was beginning to clot. “How are you really feeling?”

“Like I said, fine.”

Zuko cocked an eyebrow.

After a beat, Kuruk sighed, glancing away as he let out a small groan. “Like I just fought a sea-serpent.”

“Funny that.” He swerved around, coming to rest on his backside and dragging himself back against the rockface beside Kuruk. He stared out at the open bay, resting his forearm against his propped knee. The water was so absurdly still, like the past thirty minutes hadn’t just happened. He scoffed. _Thirty minutes._ It felt more like a few midnight days.

“What?” Kuruk sounded sceptical beside him. Glancing his way, Zuko saw his blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. Even after everything he’d just done, there was still this innate electricity sparking in their depths. It was like lightning.

“Nothing…” he glanced back around, watching as a flock of unidentifiable birds flew miles above their heads. “And everything.”

He felt Kuruk watch him with thoughtful eyes a moment longer before he too turned, facing the big, wide world before them. The sounds of the battalion drifted in and out as Zuko focused his energy on feeling the gentle, shielded sea-breeze. He breathed it in, taking in the salt and sun with the inhale before sighing it out again. “The medic’s just doing a last preliminary treatment of Gengsu; he’ll come around to you afterwards.”

Kuruk immediately shifted, looking at him with wide, imploring eyes. “Is Gengsu okay?”

He blinked, nodding. “Yeah… yeah, he’ll be okay. Just a mild concussion.”

He breathed a sigh of relief, sitting back around with a slight smile. “Thank Tui and La… I was so worried it was worse.” His expression then contorted into mirthful amusement, and he quirked a brow at Zuko. “Shouldn’t you be… I don’t know, whipping out a bottle of _sake_ right now? Surely it’s frowned upon to be sitting with a singular subordinate when you’ve got a million other places you could be.”

Zuko considered him for a moment, the omnipresent frown alleviating for just a moment as he replied, “I’m… fairly certain I can be lenient with the rules if said subordinate just saved my ass.”

It could’ve been the glaring heat of the sun, or perhaps a trick of the light, but Zuko swore that a slight rouge flushed across the waterbender’s dark complexion. He remained uncertain as said waterbender turned his cheek away before he could verify it, his thumb rubbing soothingly at the base of the cut. The frown was irrepressibly back in place as Zuko watched him.

“You’re a waterbender.”

Kuruk looked at him like he’d just jumped up with a _tsungi_ horn and begun playing ‘The Girls of Ba Sing Se’. “How awfully astute of you.”

He glared then shook his head. “No, what I mean is… our medic; he’s a waterbender too. And he has healing abilities. Have you…”

Kuruk sighed, looking down at the gash on his arm despondently. “I mean… I’ve tried, but…” he trailed off, drawing his favourable hand back through his still-damp hair. “Not every waterbender has the ability to heal. Guess I just didn’t luck out in the gene pool…”

Zuko could understand that all too well. Looking at Kuruk now, he realised that there was a myriad of similarities he was beginning to understand about the peculiar Southern Tribesman. And glancing down at his arm, he realised with a pang that he’d understand yet another thing all too well.

“I’m sorry.”

Kuruk shook himself out of whatever reverie he was in; the realisation of what Zuko had just said dawning on his face with uncertainty. “What for?”

He gestured toward the angry gash that was thankfully slowing down its blood flow. “That’ll probably scar.”

Kuruk glanced down at it with innocent eyes, inspecting it with a quiet indifference. He then looked up at Zuko and shrugged. “I guess so.”

The firebender couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. His mouth stuttered silently for a moment, before he managed out, “Did you… I don’t understand; how can you be so, so… so _blah_ about it?”

The waterbender frowned. “I’m not being ‘blah’ about it! Whatever the hell _that_ means.”

“Then why aren’t you more upset? A gash that size, that deep, will _never_ be the same again.”

“Your point?”

“How do you _not_ get my point?!” Zuko wheeled around on him, eyes glinting with the firepit of a memory. Kuruk hardly, barely flinched, but the fraction in which his eyes widened was visible enough to the captain. He didn’t care, though; he was _livid_. “Your arm will be disfigured, wrecked, _ugly,_ for the rest of your life. It’ll be a constant reminder of your mistakes and screw-ups, and every time you look at it, you’ll feel nothing but shame. We’re not even in the real fighting yet!”

Silence fell around them like a cloak nestling upon their shoulders. His chest was heaving in the exertion, his eyes wild and flashing in trepidation, and vaguely remembered that he wasn’t there anymore; he wasn’t in that war room, grovelling and begging quietly for mercy. He could breathe without worrying if it was it too loud. So, he did, taking a deep breath in through his nose before risking a glance across at Kuruk.

The waterbender seemed conflicted, varying, unknowable emotions flowing across his face like the beating of the wave. The firebender couldn’t find it in himself to blame him; he had just erupted seemingly out of nowhere. He wasn’t about to apologise, though – his pride was too overbearing for that. Something was shifting under the surface of Kuruk’s eyes, something Zuko couldn’t quite pinpoint. Eventually, his lips drew into a thin line, and said he quietly muttered, “I don’t think scars are shameful.”

_‘Of course they are… they highlight your imperfections, your faults. Your failures.’_

“Actually”, he breathed again, smiling softly as his fingertip gently traced around the outside of the marred flesh, “I think they’re a reminder of the beauty of life. Each and everyone of them comes with a story, and they show us how we grow, and try, and persevere for better things. They highlight pivotal moments in our life, show us our humanity… So, in a way… I think scars are beautiful.”

He was looking directly at him now, blue eyes fixed and searching in his amber; inexplicably, Zuko felt as though his entire soul was barred to him, with every nook and cranny and dark, dusty corner in his line of sight. He felt as though he could let down the barricade of his emotions, let the floodgates out and overflow them onto Kuruk, and that he would listen despite the danger of drowning. It was a feeling he’d shunned and chased away for years. He felt… vulnerable, and that _terrified_ him to no end.

He wasn’t sure if he was ready to feel it again. Not yet.

He forced his eyes away, choosing instead to mutter, “Once the medic comes and sorts out your arm, I’ll head back. We need to keep moving.”

A beat passed. “Right… Well, thanks for keeping me company until then.”

“I’m just trying to make sure you don’t pass out before you’re looked over”, he grumbled.

Incomprehensibly, Kuruk snorted. Zuko’s head whipped around so fast that the sea-soaked tail of his loose topknot slapped against his forehead, sticking there with the salt. Kuruk’s hands flew up to his mouth, covering it as his bright eyes flashed, but the attempt to conceal his response only made him laugh harder. Zuko watched on as he peeled forward, doubling over on himself as the laughter racked his body. The poor captain didn’t know how to react; the only times he’d dealt with expressed humour had been Lu Ten laughing at literally anything he said, Uncle’s quiet chuckles, and Toph’s sharp snorts that were accompanied with an eye-roll. This was uncontrollable, bubbly, light, iridescent laughter; and he’d never admit it out loud, but Spirits, it was kind of adorable.

Agni Above, his Uncle and cousin had made him _soft._

Making sure his face retained its stoic scowl, he watched on as Kuruk slowly reined himself in, sighing as he wiped tears from his eyes. “Sorry, just… it’s been a long day. I shouldn’t have laughed. It’s all just so ridiculous; I’m still trying to process how everything happened.”

“I get it”, he nodded, brushing his hair away. Because he did, even if he didn’t understand how laughter was an appropriate response. Settling back against the rock, he stared out at the early-afternoon sun as he willed his stupid heart to _calm down_. “Just close your eyes, have a rest until the medic gets here. You deserve it.”

Another small beat passed, and Zuko held himself by the arms back from looking over to see the cogs working in Kuruk’s eyes. “Thank you, sir”, he finally said, shifting against the rubble and rock beneath him.

And so, they fell into silence, and Zuko allowed his shoulders to sag. It was peaceful, bliss and a quiet serenity, even if it were a brief one at that. His head fell back against the rock, angling his face up to the sky to catch its warm glowing rays. Soon, he would have to get back into work, assessing the damage done to his men and the battalion’s total force. He would have to deal with Pakku’s condescending tone about every little mistake he made in handling the situation. He would have to rally his troops together, already tired, weary, and reluctant after such a traumatic experience, and continue their journey up the slop and through the pass. He would have to get back to reality and the war.

But for a few minutes, he could just _be_ ; he could exist in this small pocket stripped away from the timeline, where nothing existed but the sun, the ocean, and this odd little waterbender. His eyes fluttered close as he sighed out. The moments of peace in his life were far and few between, he gladly seized this one with an unclenched fist and upturn of his lip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all: BADASS KATARA  
> me, trying to dish out badass katara like im fckn oprah: IS THIS ENOUGH? also, have a lil zutara crumbs sprinkled on top. ive got an entire loaf out back, but not bringing that out yet hehe
> 
> also y'all: ummmmm katara can heal tho? tf?  
> ME: i HAVE MY REASONSNSNSNS OKAY? all will be revealed, young grasshoppers. patience becomes you  
> ~~~~~  
> okay but i LOVED writing parts of this chapter, while other parts were trying to put me six feet under. planning how i could do badass and SMARTass katara was one such of those things (srsly, im not a strategist AT ALL)  
> im hoping to get back into much more regular posting now, i SWEAR. I can absolutely promise yall aren't going to wait over 2 months for the next chapter cos... jesus thats bad
> 
> let me know what you guys thought in the comments, and I appreciate every single one of you who does <3 have a happy easter if you celebrate it, and stay safe xx
> 
> NEXT CHAPTER: the battalion reaches a town to restock their supplies and treat the wounded. however, katara notices that something seems suspicious af, and with the help of aang, begins to trail do some digging in equal suspicion. (in the spirit of easter, there'll be a few little surprises here hehehehehe)


	15. Smoke and Mirrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the Serpent's Pass incident, the army arrives in the lively town of Shiang Hu to restock their supplies and spirits. Katara, however, begins to realise some things regarding her position and situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, hello, yes im sorry, i meant to update last week, but I... have no excuse other than writers block  
> n e ways, this chapter is a whole monster, and one hell of a ride. also, we've officially crossed the 100k word mark!  
> completely irrelevant but my best friend kirsten is better than yours - kirsten, the greatest of all time
> 
> WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT/VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN MENTIONED

“ _Ohhh_ my Spirits, papaya! Move—move, everyone, move, I need me some _papaya_!”

Katara laughed along with the rest of her friends as Gengsu, looking more enthusiastic and alive than he’d been in days, catapulted himself toward the poor, unsuspecting fruit vendor. Any remaining semblance of decorum vanished as the clumsy air acolyte ploughed into a horrified cabbage merchant, and the group burst into mirthful tears when the man shouted in total despair, “My cabbages!”

“Well, now we know what to feed him when he inevitably hurts himself again”, Haru pointed out between snorts. Katara shoved the elbow of her unbandaged arm into him, laughing along.

Everyone had been in revolutionarily high spirits since the Serpent’s Pass ordeal, and a marginal part of that euphoria had been directed straight at Katara. She had embraced it with light-filled laughter, beaming at her friends as they continued the march through and out of the Pass. Finding a quiet moment in amongst the socialising to sneak back to her boys had been a trying effort, but when Chit Sang had gone off on some tangent, she had hastily made her escape back to Banlu and Aang.

The dragon moose had never looked so happy to see her – though, looking back on it, she did suppose the small bushel of cherry apples _may_ have played a part in his nickering and pricked ears. Nevertheless, the trusty dragon moose had been utterly showered in rubs, and subsequently snorted his thanks. Aang had beamed at her like an actual ray of sunshine, hardly waiting until they could be discrepant before jumping into her arms, whispering frantically about how scared and amazed and proud he was of her. She’d barely muttered her thanks before he’d pulled away to pout at her, chastising her for her recklessness – _“Seriously, Katara; I don’t have any issue with crazy ideas, but just keep me in the loop and tell me what you’re gonna do next time. You really scared me there!”_

The Captain had taken to openly talking to her as well; albeit somewhat awkwardly, as though he wasn’t entirely sure of how casual conversation worked, but Katara appreciated the sentiment, nonetheless. The rest of the trek toward the town of Shiang Hu had been surprisingly pleasant and lax, and the uptight officer had seemed to breathe easier watching his soldiers mingle throughout the trip. He’d made a habit of stopping by her and Banlu on his ostrich horse to toss them a few flax-honey apples, smiling as the dragon moose eagerly scarfed them down. Pakku would pass along some ridiculous request for the Captain, inevitably drawing him away with a grumble and groan as he marched back toward the rear of the envoy – not before slipping up on his perpetual frown as Katara chuckled with a bitten lip.

She wouldn’t admit it aloud, but the newfound attention and respect from the Captain wasn’t too bad. Under the guise of indifference, she could admit to herself that she was actually rather fond of it.

Of course, whenever anyone brought it up with a curious eye, she fervently denied it. Haru had made a joke about him picking favourites, digging his elbow into her side. Katara had just shrugged him off.

Now, as their envoy pulled into the wooden gates of Shiang Hu, there was a bubbly essence to the air. The town had not yet seen the war, shrouded by the Tseng River and Great Divide. Gengsu soon returned with his papaya, spraying juice everywhere as he bit into it, much to everyone’s chagrin. Multicoloured lanterns flickered around them, painting the sunset-lit town in an amber-hued kaleidoscope. Katara beamed at the bright lights, barely containing her soft gasps as she took in the wondrous new sights. The culture and vibe were so cosmically different to that of the South Pole –  from the food, to the weather, to the written characters and the customs – but for a moment, the psychedelic rays luminating from the lanterns reminded her so clearly of the _aurora australis_ back home. Her lips quirked up surreptitiously.

Beside her, Tom-Tom released a long low whistle. Katara lifted a brow as she eyed him side-on, watching his brown eyes widen substantially at a particular stall down the endless, vibrant marketplace. His grin was crooked when he turned to face them. “Hey, you guys feel like going and getting your fortune read?”

“Be my guest. You realise that’s all a bunch of rubbish, though, right?” Haru snorted softly. “Fabricated fantasies that people make up for embezzlement. Mystic mumbo-jumbo people down on their luck exploit to make a quick cash-grab. It’s the quickest way to blow a good ten-copper pieces without even blinking.”

“…You’re a stick in the mud, Haru.”

He shrugged. “ _Someone’s_ gotta be the voice of reason in this outfit. You’d all be broke without this stick in the mud.”

Katara quirked a brow, smiling softly. “I think it could be fun! Nothing wrong with a little splurge here and there, as long as it’s not out of control.”

“Why bother?” Denki mimicked the gesture, though with his own light-hearted spin and smirk on top. “I already know what’s ahead for me.”

Haru looked as though he would rather be lectured by Pakku than indulge the young Fire native in questions. He did anyway. “Oh yeah?”

A lazy grin overtook his features. “Yeah. Rice wine and concubines.”

Katara fixed him a look at that, screwing up her face into a taut frown. Her bindings felt inexplicably tighter, but she didn’t dare move to adjust them.

“You’re delusional”, Haru tossed with a roll of his eyes, before fixating on stand that smelled delightfully of lemongrass.

Chit Sang simply nodded wryly at shorter man. “Cool rhyme, chum – try make a haiku out of that.”

“Hmm, a challenge… Alright”, he said, clearing his throat in a magnified manner. Pausing with dramatic look in his eye, he cited in a poignant, sombre tone, “‘I dream of fine things, of Rice Wine and Concubines, Blessed are these gifts.’”

Chit Sang, who’d been keeping tally of syllables on his fingers, looked pleasantly surprised. “Yup, that’s a haiku.”

“Nice, Denki actually has a few functioning braincells.”

“Hey!” he shot a teasing glare at the quietly sniggering Haru. “Shut it, hotman. I’d like to see you do better.”

Without shifting his steady gaze away from Denki, the earthbender deadpanned, “‘Words are man’s weapon, A tool of sound intellect; Take notes, little boy.”

“ _Oooo_ , burn”, Tom-Tom jested, face giddy as the other Fire native flipped him off.

Meanwhile, Katara rubbed her thumb against her throat, right beneath where the phantom necklace sat. With stilted words, she cleared her throat and said, “You guys are… joking about concubines, right? ‘Cause if you are, it’s… not funny.”

A few of them looked toward each other out the corner of their eyes, brows furrowed in confusion. Haru pursed his lips, fidgeting slightly as he glanced away. “Oh yeah… must be a bit weird coming from the Water Tribe, hm?” He slowed his pace as they neared a particular stall, reaching long, tan fingers toward a small jade statue of three singing groundhogs. As he skimmed over the white and green artefact, he mused, “Polygamy is quite popular in the earth kingdom. It isn’t for everyone, nor _viable_ for everyone, but quite a few of nobility invest in several wives. Helps carry the bloodline and all that.”

“That’s just… I don’t even…” Katara trailed off, looking to the side as her brows furrowed, quashing the glare that pierced beneath her expression. She really did not know what to say. Or rather, did not know how to properly articulate her inferno of emotions in a way that wouldn’t get her arrested.

Denki flung a flaccid arm over her shoulders, pulling her close with a grin. “Come _oooon_ , Kuruk. Live a little! Enjoy the liberty of a bountiful nation! Women, wine, food and music surround us”, he said, gesturing widely around at the energetic expanse of the marketplace like he was already five _sake_ shots deep. “Indulge yourself in the riches. Who _knows_ when we’ll be in a town this lively again.”

Her eyes flickered away, mouth drawn in a thin line.

“Hey, check that out!”

Katara turned her head, watching on as Tom-Tom sprinted ahead, flanked closely by Denki after he unravelled himself from her. A small stage awaited before them in clearing of the market, surrounded by flashing lights and a growing crowd. Five dancers, cloaked in robes of jasmine and lime, were flourishing ribbons across the raised platform, moving in intricate arcs around each other. Seojun, Chit Sang and Haru followed soon after the fact. Katara held back, taking a moment to flick her eyes to the barn where Banlu and Aang lay waiting, biding their time until the envoy took march again.

Ahead of her, Haru’s steps faltered and her turned back to look at her quizzically, jutting his head toward the stage. “You coming?”

The light reflected in his long, chestnut hair, giving it a golden hue at the tips. The slight breeze swept it up into steady waves, fluttering around his pronounced and shadowed jaw. His eyes were a steady grass green, unwavering in gaze and aura. He was truly an indisputably attractive man, and Katara felt a faint flush rise upon her cheeks.

In another life, in another time, they might have been here with a different, more romantic intention in mind. Haru may have been looking at her bashfully and rosy-cheeked, rather than with chummy care. He might have led her around the stalls, arm looped in his, buying her flowers and complimenting her hair.

But he didn’t see a pretty girl; he saw a soldier, a brother in arms, and the lie of her position felt bitter in her mouth.

Try as she might, she’d always be on a different footpath to the rest of them, a road visible only to her. She would never be able to rip off her tunic and jump into a lake with them, never be able to make and appreciate jokes at the expense of women, never talk about a choice in wife. To them, she was but a man of smoke and mirrors.

So, she smiled, tight-lipped and brief, shaking her head as she ran her thumb along the divot of her palm. “I need to tend to Banlu – make sure he’s not feeling neglected or tearing up the barn. You guys go ahead, though, and have fun”, she added in an upward lilt as his expression went terse.

He still looked sceptical. “If you’re sure…”

“I’m sure”, she nodded, smiling again. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

He spared her one last, scrutinising glance before nodding and turning away, running to re-join the other men. A small breath slipped out of Katara’s nose as a sigh. Letting her hands drop to her sides, she turned on her heel and paced back to the large, straw-roofed barn. Small lanterns hung upon the door frames, swaying in the gentle breeze and flickering in the movement. A few moth-flies buzzed around lights, humming with their rapidly beating wings. Their wings, tinted a tawny golden and umber at the tips, faded against the walls of the barn, blending in perfectly to the mottled browns. Katara studied them for a moment, brows draw close before she bowed her head and pulled upon the doors.

She smiled upon her entrance, taking in the welcoming sight before her.

Along with the various ostrich horses and camelephants in their respective stalls stood Banlu, happily munching away at an overhanging bag of hay, eyes steady and eyes flickering complacently. The dragon moose caught her movement, head lifting toward her slowly, large, doe eyes blinking in a similar fashion.

“Hey, little guy”, she chuckled breathily, ducking into the stable and reaching him to brush a hand down his course fur. The endless sun had left his coat bleached, dull and dappled at points and soft belly fur the only consistent dark patch. The harness had rubbed parts of his fur off down to his smoky-skin, leaving it chafed and tender against further friction. Katara frowned in her inspection, lips pursing to the side as she ran a hand around the jutted curve of his shoulder. He shivered as she etched around the sensitive skin, and she hummed contemplatively.

“Need some more ointment on that”, she murmured, half to herself and half to the indifferent dragon moose.

“Hey Katara!”

After jumping out of her skin, the young waterbender wheeled round, fixing the cheeky-grinning spirit-lemur with a stern frown, hands rested upon her hips. “You can’t go around scaring people like that, Aang. It’s not funny.”

He shrugged, completely unbothered by the rebuke as he perched himself atop the stable gate, tail swinging behind him. “ _Maaaaybe_ I’m just trying to help train you in the art of stealth?”

“M _hm_. Yeah, I believe that when pig-chickens fly.”

He giggled in response, chittering in his lemur form. “Can you blame me? I am _so_ bored. There’s just nothing to do, and I feel like if I don’t do something soon, my brain’s going to explode. I gotta get out.”

“You’ll be fine”, she commented, turning back to rub her thumb along the distinct line of missing fur. “Actually, if you’re looking for something to do, can you grab the balm I made last night? It’s in the little ceramic pot in the cabinet over there?”

Despite the menial task, his ears immediately pricked up. “Sure!” he exclaimed, scampering away in a flurry of limbs. Katara exhaled softly, lip curling as she listened to the wooshes of air as Aang flew haphazardly around.

“Uhhhh, which pot again?” his voice called out from her periphery. “There’s like… a hundred in this cupboard alone.”

“Third shelf from the bottom, fifth from the right.”

Katara cringed as she heard Aang fumbling around with the assortment of various bottles and jars, until finally, she heard, “A _ha!_ Found it.”

“Good job”, she appeased him, smiling softly as he came bounding over the gate, pot cradled overbearingly in his little arms. She rushed to alleviate it from him, removing the lid with a quick _shing!_ before dipping her fingers into aloe vera and turmeric blend. With tentative fingers, she smeared it across the inflamed skin, massaging it in with a growing, circular pressure. The dragon moose shuddered initially under her touch, but soon sank into it, releasing a grunting sigh as his head lowered.

“There’s a good boy”, she cooed softly, watching as his long lashes fluttered in the sensation, head lowering as the stinging ache ebbed away. It wouldn’t completely eradicate the chaffing, and when they inevitably picked up camp in a couple of days to set off once more, it would return, possibly worsen. It was one step forward, two steps back. But that was life and war, wasn’t it?

Katara watched as her fingers worked methodically into the reddened skin, diligent and meticulous as spread the salve into every corner. Her own hand, free of its usual bandages, had mirroring symptoms, along with the odd cut and certain stiffness that just would not budge. She frowned at it.

“Copper piece for your thoughts?” Aang noted softly, mossy eyes looking up at her inquisitively.

She didn’t immediately respond, instead taking time to pause in her ministrations, removing her hand to look at it. She lightly scoffed. “Just thinking about irony.”

The young spirit-lemur cocked his head, scooting closer. “What about it?”

“Just that…” she trailed off, sighing. “All my life, I was always so focused on the martial side of my bending. On becoming a better fighter. Just seeking that adrenaline, you know?” she looked to Aang, who was studying her with a tender curiosity. “I don’t know,” she shrugged, “just never really cared that much for the healing aspect of it. Thought it was mundane and boring. Now I’m here, in a _war_ , and it’s probably the most crucial time imaginable to have healing abilities. But I _can’t_ …” her voice caught.

Aang’s small hand came to rest upon her forearm, padded beans pressing in lightly upon her skin.  Turning to face him, she saw the little lemur had a quiet frown on his face. “The monks have a saying – ‘hindsight is the wreckage of a storm, but foresight is the subtle change of wind. You can never know for certain which way it will blow’.”

“But this isn’t even about foresight, Aang”, she challenged, the ceramic pot going scattering as she leapt to her feet. “This is about me not even having the _option_ to learn! I may have been able to pick up _something_ had I been focusing on healing as much as I had fighting, but the problem was there was never a master to teach me! This spirit-forsaken war made certain of that! I’ve never known there to be more than a handful of benders from my Tribe, and _none_ of them were women, nor wanted to teach me. Spirit World forbid a _girl_ learn how to defend herself in a culture supposedly founded on trust and love. I just… La, it’s so _unfair!_ ”

Aang looked up at her with wide unblinking eyes, fixated on her as she huffed. His tail was curled around his lithe frame; his small hands clutching at the end. Banlu had shifted back a little at her outburst. She paused, closing her eyes shut as she shakily took in a deep breath, settling her back against the wobbly wall. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have shouted. I’m just… I’m so frustrated.”

“It’s okay, Katara”, he offered tentatively, still holding himself a distance away. “I can understand frustration.”

She smiled down at him wryly. “Not sure if you can _quite_ understand my situation.”

“Maybe not”, he admitted, jumping up onto Banlu’s back in a single bound. His little hands worked at untangling the dragon moose’s thick and course mane. “But I can definitely understand the feeling of something bringing great distress yet being beyond your control.” His wistful eyes flittered over to where a lantern hung upon the wall, the flame licking up the sides of the glass and sending wax dripping down its sides.

Catching his line of vision, Katara mentally cursed herself, brows furrowing over her eyes. Aang was such a happy, devil-may-care individual, flying about with a perpetual look of ecstasy on his features. It was all too easy to sometimes forget that he was also one of the two thousand victims of mass genocide.

Steeling herself with a deep breath, she let the gust of musty air fill her up to the brim, stretching her to the absolute extent of her height as she rested her hands on her hips. She turned to Aang with a crooked smile, “Want to get out of this place and find some fun?”

The hazy look in his eyes dispersed like fog, and he looked over at her with a wild grin. “Is that even a question you need to ask?”

* * *

Turns out, there was a lot for a disguised woman-soldier and her spirit-lemur companion to do for fun in a town like Shiang Hun. Upon opening the doors of the barn to the great outside world of lanterns and music, Aang had quite plainly been trembling with excitement. Katara had chuckled softly, gesturing to the line of trees along the streets for him to fly among as they made their way about. They weaved in and out of stalls, grazing on an assortment of _kok chai_ and sweet egg buns. Katara attempted to force her face into stern critique when Aang sent gusts of air blowing through the skirts and robes of imperious-faced men, holding it together at their indignant spluttering until she could round a corner and burst into peels of laughter. At the sound of an upbeat jig being played by a band nearby, they tucked away into an alley, flourishing their hands and feet in an exaggerated manner to the music. Their laughter blended in with the sound of drums and flutes, carrying high into the dusk-sky. It was exhilarating, and for a brief moment in time, Katara allowed herself to forget the reality of war, smiling across at Aang as they flowed between each other with leaps and twirls.

Once their limbs ached and lungs burned, they came to a pause, crashing down with gasping breaths by a golden larch tree. They were shrouded behind the main centre of town, mostly in amongst the dry forest and scattering of barns and huts. In the mid-summer heat of the grassy desert, a thin sheen of sweat coated Katara’s form. With an idle flicker of her hand, she bent it away, letting it dissolve into the roots of the tree supporting her back. She sighed, reaching a hand up through her unkempt wolf tail, noting how the tip of it was now brushing just above her shoulder blades. She _really_ needed a haircut.

Beside her, Aang sighed loudly, flopping onto his back. “ _Oof,_ I’m beat after that.”

Katara chuckled, breathy after the exertion. “Not surprised. It was good fun, though, right?”

“Definitely”, he beamed like the sun up at her. “Most fun I’ve had in ages. It was actually kind of like the dances we had at the Air Temples.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Earth Kingdom style is a little slow in comparison, and they don’t do as many leaps and turns as we did, but I can see a lot of similarities in the general execution of movements.”

Katara’s brows shot into her hairline as she gaped at the young lemur. “You guys did _more_ leaps and turns than that? What— How weren’t you all falling over with vertigo?”

“Air is as air does.” He raised his little arms above his head, swaying from side to side with his hands clasped. “We be like the leaf, flowing with the current of air around us. Dizziness never really comes into play if we willingly let ourselves be spun about.”

A soft giggle escaped her lips as she covered them with her hand, watching on as Aang’s entire body continued its wavy motion. He smiled bashfully up at her, glancing away before she began to speak. “It was very different to Southern dances we had back home.”

Aang’s eyes slid up toward her, smiling crookedly. “Yeah?”

“Mm”, she hummed softly, wistfully, staring out to where the last lambent rays of sunlight danced across the horizon. “Ours tend to involve a lot more chanting, and stomping, and definitely more drumming.”

“More drumming than that?!”

“A _lot_ more drumming”, she chuckled, recalling one year’s Return of the Sun Festival, where eight-year-old Sokka had first been allowed to participate in the official dance. He had been more than devout about his role. Her father had complained about bleeding ears for the whole following week. Kya had simply laughed at her husband’s expense, embracing Sokka with cuddles and eskimo kisses, saying how proud she was of her little man.

The exposed column of Katara’s throat felt evermore bare.

“They sound cool”, Aang commented, oblivious to the way Katara was trying to stifle the pang in her chest. “I’d love to see them one day.”

“Hopefully there’s still people around to show you after all this”, she noted absentmindedly. As soon as the words left her mouth, the air chilled several degrees, sending a chill down her spine.

Silence fell over them like a cloak as Aang shifted beside her, thumbs pressing gently into the curve of his tail. “There will be, Katara. I can promise you; I’m not going to let what happened to my people happen to yours.”

The relentlessness of innocent hope. Her heart sighed in the wake of Aang’s words. She liked to think herself an optimist, always seeing the silver-lining in every harrowing storm cloud, always holding out onto the last tether of possibility like a rope over a cliffside until it snapped. Hope was a cultivated state of mind, and she tended to her crops throughout all weather. However, the stagnant truth of maturity and ageing had forced Katara to consider reality more seriously. Growing up in war left a stale taste in one’s mouth, and it was a real challenge to be optimistic when it was all you lived and breathed. When you first saw the black smoke, watched on fearfully as the first shipment of waterbenders were taken away, witnessed men leave and never return, ran blindly for your mother’s life as it slipped through your fingers. Felt your own heart leave as she laid down her own stone beside her mother’s grave.

 She was still hopeful – would always _be_ hopeful – but a lifetime of experience had taught her that hope was not always enough.

She sighed, rubbing a hand up and down her arm as she glanced off to the trees. “Look, I appreciate the sentiment, Aang. It’s very sweet of you, and my people would be honoured by such loyalty, but the reality of the matter is there’s not a whole lot you can do. If all this falls to ashes, there isn’t a lot _any_ of us can do to stop Ozai. Don’t get me wrong; I’ll be the last person to surrender if they come bringing the black snow,” she assured at seeing the incredulous look in his eyes, “but you know what they’re like. They are _ruthless_. They are… barbaric. They don’t even _see_ the person they’re killing, just a figure in a success rate.”

“Who?”

“ _Ozai_. His followers. His friends, family – if he even has any”, she added with a hiss, letting her blood boil at the thought of anyone sharing blood with the tyrannical conqueror. Spirits help the world should his offspring be of his make and design.

Aang looked outwardly pensive, but there was a certain hardness that had shifted in his being. “My friend Kuzon, who was a pen pal of mine and part of the rebels, said that he did. Pretty sure he _had_ a wife – Lady Ursa, or Uma, or something”, his little brows furrowed. “Must have at some point, ‘cause he also had a couple of kids. Though… when I say _kids_ , I imagine they’re closer to your age.”

“Sweet La”, Katara breathed, shaking her head. “I don’t even want to entertain the idea of one mini Ozai, let alone _two._ ”

“Yeah, the world would probably be a much better place if they didn’t exist”, he chuckled humourlessly. “Who knows, we might come across them on a battlefield. They’re probably fighting alongside him.”

“Fighting?” She raised a brow, huffing as she crossed her arms, “Cowards are probably staying cooped up in their palace, lounging about on tatami with their generals, drinking _saké_ and laughing about silver and gold while their men are skewered like shish kebabs. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if they exploit their own troops somehow to advantage themselves in the long game. If someone turned around and told me they were actually dark spirits, I’d be inclined to believe them.”

There was palpable gravel in her voice, and the nails that were digging into her arm were leaving sharp, pale marks. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the inferno in his chest to quell as she spoke. “I’m sorry. This is your first proper night of freedom in months. We should talk about something more pleasant.”

The lemur-spirit considered her for a moment, hopping closer on his legs until his fluffy pelt was brushing up against her pants. “I don’t mind. I’ve had a lot of fun tonight, so it’s okay if we spend some time talking about something that’s a little harder to.”

“Aang, you’re…” she broke off, sighing through her nose before continuing, “you’re still just a kid. You shouldn’t even know how to talk about this stuff. I… I’m sorry; it was irresponsible of me to bring this up with you.”

“You don’t need to protect me, Katara.” Her eyes widened at his sudden change in cadence. It was as though he had suddenly aged well and truly beyond his years. His eyes, normally calm and bubbly lights of life, were unwavering and certain. “I stopped being a kid the day the Fire Nation attacked.”

Her eyes locked on him, heart stuttering to a halt at his words. There was a deep, sombre acceptance about him, some cosmic understanding he’d come to in his life gone by; something she could _never_ fully comprehend in her position. She tore her gaze away, unable to look at him any longer without wanting to go off on a yelling tirade. The night air felt thick and constricting around her.

She was so absorbed within her own tumultuous storm of emotions, she almost missed it when Aang’s ear pricked back and he muttered a small, “Woah.”

Her head turned to him, brows furrowed over blue eyes. “What is it?”

“I…” he paused, suddenly looking very agitated. “I’m not sure. It—It sounded like people fighting but… I don’t know, it didn’t seem like a normal fight…” his voice faded, brows drawing over his eyes as he turned to face behind them. “It was coming from down there, in one of the big sheds down further in the trees. Didn’t you hear it?”

“No”, she frowned, swivelling on her backside to follow Aang’s line of vision.

“Maybe it’s a lemur thing.”

“Maybe.” Her voice was soft, eyes roving over the sparse buildings tucked away into the thicket of trees beyond them. Conversation emitting from the dark outskirts was muffled and quiet, the footpath an invisible track that had faded in the years’ worth of undergrowth. Something within her gut inexplicably began to writhe. “People fighting, you said?”

“Yeah, but it sounded pretty one-sided. One of them sounded angry and the other was, well… really scared.”

“Did you pick up any words?”

“Yes, the, uh… the angry one was telling them to stay put, and the scared one was just saying ‘please’, ‘no’, and ‘stop’, over and over again… Got a weird chill when I heard it.”

Cogs shifted in her head, and they seemed to be joined to the malevolent serpent in her gut as it only grew in agitation. An instinctual adrenaline spiked in her blood, and she suddenly realised she had to move. Movement flickered in her periphery, and she shifted her eyes to see a lemur tail thrashing restlessly. Aang’s previously calming suddenly felt like a weight on her conscience and her intentional mind.

Turning to place a hand underneath his chin, she brought his eyes around to meet her calm, resolute ones. “I need you to stay here and keep watch for me, okay? I’ll be back soon.”

His eyes flashed under the waning moon. “Katara—”

“I won’t be long. I just want to make sure everything is under control.” At his grimace, she smiled softly. “I’ll be fine, Aang, but I need you trust me. Can you do that?

“I don’t see why I can’t come with you—”

“Just… _because_ , Aang.” She’d begun to list suspicions as Aang had relayed his limited knowledge to her, and if any of them turned out to be correct, she didn’t want a thirteen-year-old monk being exposed to them – no matter what he had said about not being a kid anymore. Childhood was a precious gift in their war-stricken world, and any left was a blessing worth preserving, in her eyes.

Aang deadpanned her. “That’s literally the worst excuse.”

“ _Please_ ”, she begged, staring into the depths of his mossy eyes with a fervent urgency. “Please just trust me on this. You wait among the trees just outside, but I don’t want you following me in.” Sensing his lingering uncertainty, she dug at scraps, “I need someone to be on lookout while I investigate. You’re the only one I trust to do that.”

She knew she had struck a chord with him when his brows lifted, mouth snapping into a thin line before he nodded. “O—Okay”, he said solemnly, meeting her tone with equal sincerity. “I won’t let you down.”

“Thank you.” A steely determination was mirrored in his gaze, and she felt the breeze pick up around them as she nodded, feeling both emboldened and positively distressed by the strange finality as she rose to a stand. Swerving around to the face the awaiting forest, she sucked in a deep breath, narrowing her sights onto the distant glowing yellow windows. “Stay on me until I go in; keep an ear out once I am. Hopefully this is nothing, but if not, and if something goes south, I want you to go find the Captain, alright?”

“Things _won’t_ go south, though, will they?” he pressed.

_‘Knowing my luck, probably.’_

Her smile was stretch-thin. “Hopefully not, but I need to have faith in a backup on the off chance they do.”

He looked off to the side momentarily, mouth pursing as he said, “Alright. I’ll be coming in with him, though.”

She breathed a dry smile, “There isn’t really anything I could say to dissuade you, is there?”

“Nope”, he smiled tentatively back.

“Thought as much.” Katara shook her head, letting the tender ease of their exchange ebb away in place of steely determination. Breathing deeply, she narrowed her eyes and began stepping down toward the thicket, aware of Aang tailing close behind as they descended further into the night.

Katara moved like a polar leopard through the trees, her feet barely skimming the ground as she picked up to a steady jog. She took care to step lightly on the dry leaves and grass around her, leaping over protruding roots as they presented themselves. It was darkening rapidly, and she had move cautiously as her eyes gradually adjusted to the dimming light. The wind whistled in her ears and through Aang’s wings; it was a quiet comfort to hear the light beat of them as they grew ever closer to the foreboding shacks and barns before them.

A crash sounded ahead of them, followed by a whimpering gasp. Darting her line of vision to the side, she saw Aang nod in confirmation. Katara’s eyes narrowed and locked onto the large, ramshackle structure before them. _That one._ Watching the lemur curve his way up into an overhanging branch, concealing himself in plain sight, Katara surreptitiously pulled at the bandages of her arm. The wound was still tender beneath the fresh wrappings. Hearing yet another whimper from inside the barn, though, she hardened her resolve, and stepped toward it.

* * *

Sneaking into the looming, dark, rickety building had been… surprisingly easy. _Too_ easy, Katara felt with a frown as she slipped through a back door, across a expansive courtyard, around a largely empty hallway, and through a small passage. She could still hear deep and muffled voices, but she was hardly focused on them when the distinct sound of stifled cries echoed ahead of her. Keeping her back against the wall of the narrow passageway, she listened out for footsteps, keeping her breathing dangerously shallow. Something was undisputedly off about this place, and her gut was churning like a canoe in an ocean storm. She hissed in a breath at the sound of nearing conversation, flattening up the wall as the footsteps passed.

“Oh, frickin’ hell; oh, I really needed that. Better than any acupuncture, I reckon.” It was a man’s voice.

“So true.”

"The tension just like, ebbed out of my limbs. Euphoric as hell.”  

The other sighed wistfully. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. I’m so glad the Captain approved this as part of our hospitality treatment here.”

“You’re kidding, right?” The other laughed. “Guy’s got a stick shoved so far up his ass, there’s no way in the pits of Ko the Face-stealer’s prison that he approved this.”

“You’d think with the whole… Fire-heritage thing that he would be but, yeah, I guess.”

“Nah, it’s like I told you before; they’re just passing it quietly amongst those who express interest. Tudi Gong bless the bastard who managed to find this place and pass the word around.”

“Mm… I tell you what, though; that plumpy one sure makes for an interesting time”, one chuckled low.

The other snorted. “Man, nah, she’s too complacent. The ones with a bit of fight are _so_ much satisfying.”  

Bile rose in Katara’s throat, and she fought to swallow it back down silently, biting her cheek until she felt the sticky copper taste of blood in her mouth. Her fists clenched at her sides, hand itching toward the closed waterskin at her hip. Thank the Spirits above she’d had the sense to take it with her during the night; it could certainly come into use soon.

Waiting until the men passed, and after sparing a loathing glare at their backs once she recognised them — two earthbenders in their late twenties — she started off again, keeping low to the ground as she slunk around the corner and moved toward where they’d come from. There were several doorways along the course of the corridor, sealed with wooden boards up to the ceiling so she had no chance of peaking inside. She had to refrain from pitching the doors ajar at the indistinct sound of silent cries, pushing past her own genetic makeup that fought to pry upon the possible lost souls shrouded beyond her vision.

As she came to the end of the hallway, where a slim bottle-green pillar with patchy paint held the creaking ceiling up, she froze, eyes widened at the sound of footsteps approaching once more. Blood roared in her ears, and she was about to dip into a very shallow probably useless alcove, fully prepared to unsheathe her waterskin when she realised the footsteps were heavy and sporadic, the breathing laboured, and coming out in short, sharp panicked bursts. Her steps faltered and she swallowed thickly, pressing up against the wall as she slowly uncapped her waterskin, moving closer to the hushed voices speaking urgently.

“Please, just… just turn back”, a quiet, breathy voice spoke gently, pleadingly. A girl. Katara’s eyes widened and her teeth ground together.

“No”, came a shaky reply – yet another female voice. This one, however, was laced with a brittle determination, and Katara almost jumped out from her shelter at the sound. “No, no, we are getting out of here _tonight._ You _need_ help, and we aren’t going to find that here.”

“Rina has medical training as well, m-maybe she could do something. I just… _Please_ , if we’re caught—”

“We won’t get caught but only if we _keep quiet_ ”, the other whispered out. “We have another five or so minutes before the guards come back on rotation.”

“I’ll be fine – I’ve dealt with wounds before. This isn’t even that bad in comparison—”

“You aren’t any use to them in this state. They will take _one_ look at you and… and—”

“I can handle it. I won’t let them see I’m in pain. Can we just go back—?

“We have to keep moving. It’s our only chance—”

“You’re still not in any danger. You can go back and be completely fine. But if we get caught and something happens to you, I will never forgive myself.”

“I can’t keep watching you come back every time after _they_ —” her words broke off in an evident choke.

Katara could not take it longer; the beast in her chest was growling with its hackles raised, teeth bared with lips curling. She stepped out from her spot, rounding the corner in a near sprint. Barely a few feet around the bend, she came to a staggered halt, mouth dropping in quiet horror. The sight before nearly crippled her very essence.

Two women – two _girls,_ really, as they could not have been more than a year older than herself – stood petrified before her; a slim one with messy hair, a widened stance and equally wide hazel eyes, who had her arm wrapped around the waist of a slightly smaller, curvier girl, with brown doe-eyes and furrowed brows. The latter shifted in her stance ever so slightly, and the movement drew Katara’s vision down to a purple nebula of a bruise forming on her left leg. On the other was a twisting, winding burn scar. Katara’s heart plummeted into the earth.

“G-get back!” The wild-haired girl exclaimed, eyes sharp in suspicion as she pulled the other girl closer to her side. “I’m serious! I…” she trailed off as her eyes darted side to side, before settling on Katara again with, “I have a knife!”

It was nothing more than a broken shard of glass.

“Hey _shhhh,_ no-no-no-no, it’s okay”, she urged quietly, raised her hands placatingly as she moved toward them in slow measured steps. “It’s okay, I promise. I’m not going to hurt you – I just wanna help.”

Her bright hazel eyes narrowed even further, roving over Katara’s attire. She dared to take a step back, glass raised higher in front of her. Her tone was scathing as she hissed, “We know what happens when soldiers. We don’t want it. So, back, _off.”_

_‘I vow under the full prowess of the Moon Spirit that they ever be so stupid as to cross my path, I will impale the repugnant excuses for soldiers that made them this way.’_

Katara’s brows furrowed as she flickered her gaze between the two of them, grounding herself through a deep-seated sigh. “I can’t speak for the actions of others, but I swear to you on my life, by the Spirits of Tui and La, that I am only here to help you. In any way I can offer.”

The slimmer one’s gaze faltered, and her breathing hastened as she took a tentative step back. Katara felt like she was trying to coax a little polar leopard cub away from the edge of an iceberg. She was grasping at tethers, looking for anything that could possibly convince the two clearly traumatised young women when there was a bark of laughter emanating from further down the corridor. All three jumped at the sound, and immediately Katara felt her pressure rise exponentially.

“ _Please_ ”, she hissed desperately, uncapping the top of her waterskin as she started toward them once more. “We’re running out of time.”

“Jin.” A small pale hand clasped itself around the wild-haired girl’s forearm, and she turned to face her friend. Her soft chocolate orbs were darting between her and Katara, measured and sure. “I think we can trust him. He’s different from the others.”

Something broke in Jin’s resolve, and her gaze softened on the other girl. “I don’t know… what if we… if we trust him and we regret it… and the others…”

There was a tentative smile creeping its way onto her features, and she gently nodded. “So, don’t trust him. Trust _me._ I have a good feeling about him. He’ll help save us all.”

Katara watched with bated breath as the exchange unfolded, hand poised at her side with the feeling of water just beyond her fingertips. Her heart raced within her chest, ricocheting against her ribcage with painful, audible thuds.

After a painstaking moment, Jin sighed, shaking her head. With knitted brows, she turned to Katara with an ambiguous look in her eye. “Can you help me with her? My shoulder is kinda busted too, and it’s hard to walk with her leaning on me.”

Katara blinked. “O-of course.” She jumped forward, wrapping the girl’s other arm around her shoulders. “Here, lean on me.” She ignored the numb ache of her own strained and battered arm as it trembled under the added weight.

The shorter girl smiled wearily. “Thank you.”

Jin’s eyes flashed to her from across her injured friend. “I hope you realise I’m serious about the knife.”

Katara smiled wryly. “I hope you are, too.”

And so, they set off, Katara practically carrying the girl between her and Jin as she realised how deep the fresh injury on her leg ran. Her limp was seriously affecting the rate of their pace, and they had to keep pausing to readjust their grip on the young woman. It was an agonising repetition that made Katara want to scream, but patience, subtlety, and stealth would be the only thing that could get them out – so, she grit her teeth, bared them, and marched wordlessly on.

A tense, palpable silence settled over them as they moved, all their senses focused entirely onto the shifting creaks and thumps around them. Katara’s mind and body were raging in fear and anger and the growing myriad of questions she had about this place. But they would have to wait, if they wanted any chance at making it out unfound and unscathed.

A wince brought her out of her thoughts, and she turned her head to see the brown-eyed girl’s face turning ashen, breathing laboured and sporadic. Jin’s own hazel ones were wide in transparent fear. “Song? Song, what’s wrong”, she whispered, slowing just a fraction.

“My—my head”, she murmured breathily, eyes flickering unfocused ahead of her. “I… I can’t… ‘m tired.”

“Hey, no, keep your eyes open.” Katara didn’t know much about the extent of this girl’s – Song’s – injuries, but she knew that being tired while in what was presumably an indescribable amount of pain was never a good thing. She brought a hand up to cup the young woman’s cheek, bringing her face around to meet her gaze. “Look at me. I need you to stay awake and stay with us, okay? No going to sleep.” She turned her attention toward Jin, who stood in silent panic beside them. “Can you keep talking to her as we walk? Make sure she’s responding, too.”

“Y-yeah, of course.” She immediately flicked her eyes over to Song, who was getting heavier by the second. “Hey, Song, hey, we’re getting out of here, remember? How good is that? What’re you excited to see first?”

“S’good”, she hummed, head lolling as they took off again. “I… I wa’a see… the sherry bloss’ms.”

“The cherry blossoms? Yeah”, Jin smiled ruefully. “Tell you what – as soon as we’re out of here, I’ll take you to find the—the biggest cherry blossom orchard in the Earth Kingdom – in the whole _world,_ yeah?”

Song simply hummed in response, mouth quirking up at the tips. Katara hastened their pace with a grunt, lifting the girl’s weight as it fell heavier beside her.

Quiet conversation continued beside her as they weaved their way through. There was a close call as they trekked across the courtyard, and Katara had to be begrudgingly rough in shoving the pair behind a tree when a trio of pot-bellied men passed them by. She’d kept one hand clamped down on Song’s mouth and the other at her side, letting the liquid be called to her fingers as her eyes trailed the men out of the starlit clearing. She had felt Jin’s attentive gaze on her every movement when she’d slipped it back into the caribou-hide pouch, capping it half-shut before setting off again.

They walked along the dimly lit corridors, winding in and out of them as they came nearer to the door Katara had initially entered through. She faintly wondered whether the other two girls’ hearts were sprinting as recklessly as hers was in that moment. Every single one of her limbs was trembling in anticipation, begging to race along with the muscle in her chest, but she held back. They could taste the freedom just beyond reach, but it wasn’t theirs yet.

“We’re almost there”, she whispered fervently to the two by her side, giving them a smile of confidence she didn’t fully feel yet. “We’re almost there.”

Jin had barely the chance to allow her eyes to flicker in glimmering hope before a voice called behind them, “Yeah… that’s what makes this so tragic.”

Katara froze in her steps, eyes widening in the growing horror she sensed was about to unfold. She knew that voice, had never liked that voice, but had never felt such dripping contempt as she did in that very moment.

“Get behind me”, she murmured to Song and Jin, watching as the latter nodded, pulling Song protectively into her side, staring wide-eyed at the figure behind them. Slowly, Katara turned to face them too, a murderous scowl on her features.

“Jet”, she growled out.

The absolute prick smiled at her in an almost pitiful manner. “Hey _Kuruk_. Fancy seeing you here. Didn’t pick you as the type to be interested in a place like this.”

“What even is this place?” She didn’t want to know, and she could probably guess, but she had to be certain.

“I’m so glad you asked.” There was that charming smile again, but there nothing charming about it. It was just plain sickening and made her want to throw up. “You ever heard of the term comfort women? No? Unsurprising, I guess, considering they originated in the _Fire Nation_ ”, his smooth cadence became a disdainful hiss at the last two words. “See around the second century BG, the Fire Nation – surprise, surprise – had instigated another war. This particular one was with the Earth Kingdom, and spanned over several decades. Anyway, their men were often away from home for years at a time and, well, they have _needs_.”

His grin was positively malicious. “Of course, it’d look bad if they were seen to be going around and just raping the first pair they set their eyes on; so, the military officials of the time came up with this idea of institutionalising the act. Making it regulation.” Katara listened in horrified disgust as he continued, twirling one of his twin hooks between his fingers. “They’re not part of the culture, but obviously a few of the houses are still around. And whenever war comes a’knocking, as always does and always will, these guys get opened up again. The history’s rather fascinating, when you think about it”, he chuckled acidly. “They kidnapped and stole _our_ women all those years ago, and now… we’re returning the gesture. What goes around, comes around.”

The pieces slid together with a shattering jolt of lightning. “It was _you. You’re_ behind this?”

He smirked then, broad and wild with perfect white teeth showing – that damned _twig_ still between them. “No – thank you for the regard, but I can’t take all the credit. I just wrote to a few comrades of mine across the nation and connected a few others. This place has existed for years before we rolled into town.”

“This _place_ is an abomination”, she hissed, feeling the water in her waterskin, in the air, in the ground beneath her, within every living thing near her beckoning her to take command. “How many women are in here? How many are sick, injured or worse? How many have fallen pregnant and been cast aside for the next one? How many have you _yourself_ disrespected and abused?”

He shook his head incredulously, scoffing, “They’re all Fire Nation. Why do you care?”

“So, what, this is an eye-for-an eye? That makes you no better than them!” Her voice was raised now, and there would be more men coming within minutes, but the fire within her was loose now, and there was not a body of water in this world or the next that could quench it. “I am willing to bet my right foot that most of these women are civilians, and you know what? They’re probably not all Fire Nation, you asshole.”

“We’re not”, Jin spoke up for the first time, voice wavering but gaze not as she stared down Jet from behind Katara. The confirmation only riled the waterbender further.

“And even if they were, does that somehow make it right to treat them less than human?” Katara grilled, gesturing to the girls behind her as her blood boiled. “Did you forget that a good quarter of our battalion is Fire Nation? Are you blind, or just plain stupid? I never liked you, but I never believed you possible of this.”

His eyes narrowed and he took a step toward her, turning the heat of Katara’s anger up impossibly higher. “As… previously inquired, why do you care anyway? They are just women. Aren’t you all rather backwards in the Water Tribe? Isn’t this something you, _yourself_ , would practice?”

She closed the limited space between them, getting right up into his face with the fury of a thousand, spitting, “No, you absolute stain upon humanity, because I, _myself,_ am a woman!”

The cold glint in his eyes shone bright as ice, and the fire that had been building in her chest shrivelled along with her confidence, heart jerking to a halt. There was a faint gasp behind her, but she barely registered it as the dangerous elongated metal flashed in her visual periphery.

“Hook.” There was sharp nick at her side, and the distinctive sound of fabric ripping as she was pulled against the wall.

“Line.” Another pull, and she felt her chest bindings fall around her. All she could do was stare at Jet as he grinned like a tiger seal eyeing its prey.

Time ground to a halt and flashed forward far too fast at the same time. Katara’s chest constricted, she couldn’t breathe, she needed to get out. Two _shurikens_ came flying at her, and she barely blinked as they punctured her clothes and skin, pinning her against the wall as she tried to escape.  He pressed up against her before she could, forcing a gasp from her. Jet’s grin was unbendable as he breathed into her eyes, “Sinker.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have had parts of this chapter written for like five months (clown emoji)
> 
> but YES the big reveal -- maybe not quite as yall were expecting? and obviously, there are still some crucial others who need to experience the revelation *looks pointedly at zuko the oblivious dork*
> 
> Disclaimer: IF YOURE POLYAMOROUS, YOURE VALID AND I LOVE YOU. KATARA HAS A VERY SET AND NEGATIVE IDEA OF WHAT POLYGAMY IMPLIES, AND DOESN’T REALISE IT CAN BE SOMETHING VERY BEAUTIFUL. LIVE YO LIFE, HOMESLICE.  
> fyi, aang is me throughout iso. istfg my extroverted ass is screaming for stuff to do.  
> have I started shipping song/jin? Yes. would they be the absolute cutest wlw relationship ever? you bet your honeyed ass. also I’m dubbing their ship name ‘sing’ because yote
> 
> i'd say im sorry about the cliffhanger... but im really not
> 
> as always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks light up my day, and i love hearing your guys' thoughts about each update!! mwah! xx (kirsten still says hi)
> 
> NEXT CHAPTER: worried about katara, aang goes looking for el capitan, and together, the two go to sus out what has become of our heroine...


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